Dalai Lama Office’s Dagri Rinpoche molests women?

Dagri Rinpoche Thupten Lundrup Tenpey Gyaltsen a.k.a. Thupten Jangchup, who works in the Dalai Lama’s Office and is closely associated with Foundation for the Preservation of the Mahayana Tradition (FPMT) and Sera Jey Monastery, is now in police custody after being accused of assaulting a woman on a Delhi-Dharamsala flight. According to sources, this is not the first time he has done this but the previous incidents were hushed up.

“People who commit sexual abuse don’t care about the Buddha’s teaching. Make it public through media, though they may not pay heed to Buddhist teachings on ethical behaviour, they will likely take notice if their face appears in the media.” ~ H.H. the Dalai Lama (Ladakh, 2017)

By: Kay Beswick

Indian media has exploded with the recent news of a Tibetan monk-official, Dagri Rinpoche, who is in police custody after being accused of molesting a woman. According to the reports, 65-year-old Dagri Rinpoche, also known as Thupten Lundrup Tenpey Gyaltsen a.k.a. Thupten Jangchup, is a resident of Bylakuppe and works in the Dalai Lama’s Office in Dharamsala. His accuser lodged a complaint at Gaggal police station, alleging that the assault took place on a flight between Delhi and Gaggal Airportin Kangra. Gaggal Airport is the closest airport to serve Dharamsala, where the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA; Tibetan leadership) is based. Everyone also knows that the Indian police are chronically understaffed and overworked, so they will not simply arrest someone based on a flimsy allegation. They must have done preliminary investigations and found something to convince them he is worthy of arrest. It is already well-known in the Tibetan circles that he has been grabbing at women for years now. A few points from this incident are extremely troubling:

The word used by Indian media to refer to this incident is not merely that Dagri Rinpoche groped the woman through her clothes. It strongly implies that he actively tried to violate her and get his hands under her clothing.

No one is surprised Dagri Rinpoche was detained for his behavior. The fact he was caught harassing a lady from Kinnaur, a region in India where Tibetan Buddhism is strong and people have a blind faith towards Tibetan monks and lamas, only confirms the news.

Dagri Rinpoche is not the first person close to the Dalai Lama who has been accused of sexual harassment. Most recently, the Karmapa Ogyen Trinley who is endorsed by the Dalai Lama, has been accused of pursuing women in Taiwan. Similarly, Sogyal Rinpoche, Sakyong Mipham and Tenzin Dhonden (amongst many, many others) were accused of sexual abuse. All of them were heavily endorsed and promoted by the Dalai Lama.

When questioned, Dagri Rinpoche gave his address as the Dalai Lama’s Office. It was a blatant attempt to absolve himself, and to intimidate the Indian police that they should not pursue the matter any further because he is associated with the Dalai Lama.

The Tibetan caption says he works in the Dalai Lama’s Office and his name is Geshe Dagri Rinpoche. Click to enlarge.

This, quite frankly, is disgusting because rather than thinking about the trauma experienced by the victim, Dagri Rinpoche’s first act was to try and protect himself and his reputation, by drawing on his association with the Dalai Lama. The fact Dagri Rinpoche used his closeness with the Dalai Lama to protect himself is precisely the problem. People like Sogyal Rinpoche and Sakyong Mipham were able to abuse women for decades because they felt invincible and entitled to behave however they like, due to their association with the Dalai Lama. Are Dagri Rinpoche’s actions excusable because he is associated with the Dalai Lama? No, because if a crime has been committed and a woman has been harassed, then there must be consequences according to Indian law. In the real world, the trauma experienced by the women victimized by these Dalai Lama-endorsed teachers is very, very real. It does not matter how close these teachers are to the Dalai Lama, because that knowledge does not take away the pain and sense of violation these women feel.Dagri Rinpoche is an incumbent lama of Sera Jey Monasterywhere he was educated for many years and received his Geshe Lharampa degree. Evidently, receiving a Geshe Lharampa degree did not imbue him with a sense of responsibility to protect the public’s view of Buddhism, given that he is dressed in monk’s robes and now accused of molesting a woman in public. A Geshe Lharampa is supposed to be very learned in Buddhism and we assumed he is practicing what he has learned. The crux of the practice is: renunciation, compassion and right view. Obviously his degree has become something of a passport to money and self-benefit, and not so much inner contemplation and transformation.

FPMT often promotes Dagri Rinpoche and he is frequently pictured together with the head of the organization, Lama Zopa. Now that Dagri Rinpoche has been arrested for sexual assault, will FPMT remain silent or will they continue to promote him as a valid source for teachings?

In recent years, Dagri Rinpoche has also been closely associated with Foundation for the Preservation of the Mahayana Tradition (FPMT) who have heavily promoted him as a credible teacher on Buddhism. He is, for example, due to embark on a teaching tour and headline Wesak Day events in South East Asia. He is often invited to FPMT to give teachings in their centres throughout the world. All of these students who have received teachings, commentaries and tantric initiations are now going to be in a very difficult situation, and perhaps lose faith, feel disgust and feel cheated. Do Dagri Rinpoche and FPMT have any consideration for the damage they have done to these students, and consideration for their feelings? And will Sera Jey Monastery and FPMT now denounce Dagri Rinpoche’s actions, or will they continue to promote him as a valid source for teachings because it is financially lucrative to continue flogging a teacher who is associated with the Dalai Lama? There can be no other reason than that, because it certainly will not be spiritual. It is impossible that blessings can come from someone who has been caught violating women in this way. Of course, both FPMT and Sera Jey Monastery have also been very active in the anti-Dorje Shugden campaign to discriminate against Dorje Shugden practitioners. FPMT for example, renounced the practice to appear ‘clean’ and obedient to the Dalai Lama, and therefore worthy of receiving donations, funding and support. They renounced the practice although their founder, Lama Yeshe was very devoted to the deity. Now for you the reader, think for yourself – who goes to a deeper hell in their afterlife, someone who molests women or someone who practices Dorje Shugden?You think.

Sera Jey Monastery has been very active in suppressing Dorje Shugden practitioners. Now that one of their lamas is in police custody for sexually assaulting a woman, will they be as equally vocal about condemning his actions? Sexual assault is actually illegal in the eyes of Indian law, whereas Dorje Shugden practice is permitted due to Indian laws on religious freedom. Will Sera Jey Monastery uphold Indian law, or will they protect a sexual abuser?

Similarly, Sera Jey most recently implemented a badge campaign. Their aim was to segregate people who rely on Dorje Shugden, so a badge was given to non-Dorje Shugden practitioners to easily identify them as ‘clean’. Again, their campaign to uphold religious apartheid was to get in the Dalai Lama’s good books, to show everyone they are worthy of support. The irony throughout all of this is that Dagri Rinpoche’s previous life was well-known to be a very devoted practitioner of Dorje Shugden and propagated the practice to many people. In this life however, to be politically-correct, he has abandoned the practice. But according to the Tibetan leadership, if you practice Dorje Shugden, practitioners will take automatic rebirth in the Three Lower Realms so how come Dagri Rinpoche was able to reincarnate back into his current body? The world now waits to see what the Dalai Lama, Sera Jey and FPMT will do. Some people might even say that he was framed but the question is, what would he be framed for? And why him? In FPMT, he may be some superstar but out in the real world, he is a nobody. No doubt attempts will be made to get the police to drop the charges, in sheer disregard for the victim’s experience. In Tibetan society, especially if you are connected to the Dalai Lama, the policy is to protect the abuser and let the victim suffer. Sadly, it is also the case in Tibetan society where you can hold your vows, be kind and be an unblemished representative of the Buddha’s teachings…but if you practice Dorje Shugden, then you are instantly an anti-Dalai Lama traitor. However, if you are connected to the Dalai Lama, and you do not practice Dorje Shugden, then you can do whatever you like. But what is more anti-Dalai Lama, practicing Dorje Shugden or giving the Dalai Lama a bad name by abusing women and then trying to protect yourself by showing how close you are to him? In their rush to defend themselves, people like Dagri Rinpoche do not think how their defence may impact the Dalai Lama. They do not see that the public are also starting to question why the Dalai Lama endorses this type of behavior. Is this what the Dalai Lama stands for? Unless the Dalai Lama breaks his silence, then the answer to that question is ‘yes’. It is time for the Dalai Lama to come out to strongly denouncethese people. It is time for him to actively investigate everyone in his office and government, and remove people who have abused their power.

All of these teachers, endorsed by the Dalai Lama, have either been accused of or admitted to sexual abuse. This now includes Dagri Rinpoche who was recently arrested by Indian police. All of these lamas also do not practice Dorje Shugden and hence whatever they do is excusable, as long as they remain financially lucrative for the Tibetan leadership. (Top row L-R: Sogyal Rinpoche, Sakyong Mipham, Gangten Tulku. Bottom row L-R: Lama Norlha, Lama Choedak Rinpoche, Tenzin Dhonden).

Especially for Dagri Rinpoche who works in the Tibetan government’s office and with the Dalai Lama, not only should he be ousted from his position but some sort of repercussion or punishment is also due in accordance with the law. For someone who actually works in the Tibetan government and represents the Dalai Lama, when he commits crimes like this, what kind of example does it set if he is exonerated? Instead of teaching Tibetans to obey the law, people like Dagri Rinpoche show that with power and position, you can behave however you like with no repercussions. Is that the lesson a supposed Geshe Lharampa should be teaching? What teachers like Sogyal Rinpoche, Sakyong Mipham, Tenzin Dhonden and now Dagri Rinpoche have done to these women is highly reprehensible and deserving of the strongest condemnation. It goes against the fundamental tenets of Buddhism which is to do no harm to others and to cause no suffering to them. But Dagri Rinpoche’s victim, who now feels violated, will never look at the monk’s robes in the same way again. Fear, paranoia and trauma are the emotions that she will associate with the robes. This type of damage to Buddhismis palpable, and it is people like Dagri Rinpoche who are responsible, and no one else.

Approximate translation:

Watch a news report of a man accused of assaulting a woman on a flight from Delhi to Kangra who has been taken into custody. On a flight arriving at Kangra airport from Delhi, a man molested a woman sitting on the plane. Upon reaching the airport the woman filed a report with the police. The report was lodged in Gaggal. The authorities have arrested the accused and taken him into police custody. The accused is a resident of Bylakuppe but for some time has been working in Mcleod Ganj at the Dalai Lama’s Office. The woman, a resident from Kinnaur, told police in her sworn statement that the 65-year-old Dagri Rinpoche Thubten Jangchub, a resident of Bylakuppe, molested her on the plane.

[FACEBOOK]

Tibetans on social media are furious that another of the Dalai Lama’s associates is in police custody accused of sexually harassing women. This person explains the accused is Dagri Rinpoche Thupten Jangchub who is a Geshe Lharampa from Sera Jey Monastery and works for the Dalai Lama’s Office in Dharamsala, Himachal Pradesh. He was travelling from Delhi to Gaggal Airport when he allegedly assaulted a woman from Kinnaur, a region in India where Tibetan Buddhism is strong and people have a blind faith towards Tibetan monks and lamas. (Source: https://www.facebook.com/palden.gyalpo.5/posts/680924665671499)

This Indian newspaper explains that Dagri Rinpoche is a member of the Dalai Lama’s Office and has been accused of assaulting a woman on a flight from Delhi to Gaggal Airport.

This explains that the accused is Dagri Rinpoche Thupten Jangchub who is a Geshe Lharampa from Sera Jey Monastery and works for the Dalai Lama’s Office in Dharamsala, Himachal Pradesh. He was travelling from Delhi to Gaggal Airport when he allegedly assaulted a woman from Kinnaur.

[hyunbulnews] 티베트 고위승려 부끄러운 성추문

ADDENDUM

Jaki, another one of Dagri Rinpoche’s victims. Jaki has published a video (see below) detailing the sexual assault she suffered at the hands of Dagri Rinpoche.

A video of another one of Dagri Rinpoche’s victims has just been released. Featuring a former nun Jaki (also known as Kunsang), she exposes Dagri Rinpoche as a serial sexual abuser who has been assaulting women for many years. Significantly, Ms. Jaki’s video is accompanied by the statutory declaration that she lodged with Kangra Police Station at the time. Ms. Jaki’s statutory declaration, which is explicit and goes into a lot of details, is notarized as genuine and real. In her video, a distraught Ms. Jaki says that after Dagri Rinpoche abused her, she approached Foundation for the Preservation of the Mahayana Tradition (FPMT) and the Dalai Lama’s Office for assistance. Instead of doing something about it, they called a meeting with her and tried to downplay the incident. Typical of those who blame victims of sexual abuse, they portrayed her as a liar and an attention-seeker, and as someone who is overreacting. Not only were they dismissive of her experience but later, Dagri Rinpoche even lied about the meeting, saying that Ms. Jaki had apologized for her behavior and begged for his forgiveness. That is, Dagri Rinpoche portrayed her as a lying troublemaker who is not to be trusted. The Dalai Lama preaches compassion but where was his Office’s compassion for her?No consideration whatsoever was given to the suffering she experienced and there was a total lack of sensitivity in how they dealt with a tramuatized person. Imagine a victim of abuse, already scared, already living in a foreign land, being confronted by a group of men, all of whom come with the intention of protecting the abuser.

The betrayal is evident in Ms. Jaki’s voice, a clear reflection of the pain she has carried with her for over a decade. What appears to disturb her the most is the fact Dagri Rinpoche has been ordaining people for decades, and continues to do so with FPMT’s encouragement although they are aware of his abuse. Ms. Jaki questions the basis of those ordinations – is Dagri Rinpoche still a monk when he has been abusing women and breaking his celibacy vows for decades? Dagri Rinpoche cannot give monks’ vows to anyone, if he himself does not have the vows to give. Where then, does that leave his students? Given his abusive ways, how valid or intact are the vows he is supposedly transmitting, how many people has he ordained and are they really monks and nuns? Ordaining others into being a monk or nun is one issue; the other issue is the faith he has destroyed in people and the spiritual blackhole he has pushed them into. Who are these people to trust now? How many hundreds of students has Dagri Rinpoche given initiation, teachings, commentaries, oral transmissions and advice to? How will all of these people feel now and how should they see him? Is he their lama or do they give up Buddhism and their practice? How are they to view him? In light of these exposés, it is very disturbing that FPMT actually encourages people to form a connection with the abusive Dagri Rinpoche. Their attitude towards victims of abuse is deplorable, and demeans those who enter spirituality seeking salvation but are instead met with misogynists and abuser-enablers. There is no doubt FPMT has enabled Dagri Rinpoche to continue his pattern of abuse; it is clear from Ms. Jaki’s video that for years, FPMT have received reports of Dagri Rinpoche’s abuse but they continued to heavily promote him. Instead of taking a firm stance to protect their members, they continued to invite him to teach in various Dharma centers and there can be only one reason why FPMT did this – as a worker in the Dalai Lama’s Office, Dagri Rinpoche is a lucrative source of income and donations, and hence that makes it worthwhile for them to promote a fake monk. What also becomes clear is Ms. Jaki did not plan to film this spontaneously-shot video but the cover-up of Dagri Rinpoche’s abuse is becoming too much for her to bear. She was compelled to speak up against the cover-up that has continued with the direct involvement of FPMT’s senior members, employing one of their favorite tactics to downplay their organization’s wrongdoings – blame any ensuing uproar on Dorje Shugden practitioners.

Former monk and senior FPMT student Fabrizio Pallotti was one of the first to dismiss the latest exposé on Dagri Rinpoche, and direct unfounded accusations against Dorje Shugden practitioners. Is this how a senior FPMT student behaves, making accusations against people without any evidence? Now that Jaki’s video is public, what will Mr. Pallotti say about her allegations given it is becoming more and more evident Dagri Rinpoche has a history of abusing women? Does FPMT condone the behavior of its senior students like Mr. Pallotti who demean and deny the experiences of female victims of sexual abuse?

This is not a Dorje Shugden issue but FPMT often likes to accuse people of relying on Dorje Shugden in order to denigrate them and their organization. Why do they comment on the affairs of other organizations? It is not for FPMT to be the spiritual police of Buddhism, accusing people of this and that, as they do within the Dorje Shugden issue. Hence instead of actually addressing their wrongdoings, they like to claim that Dorje Shugden practitioners are lying. It is nothing more than a blatant attempt to scapegoat innocent parties, and distract the public. Denying the truth, what a strange attitude for an organization that claims to be Buddhist. In this case, FPMT people close to the Dalai Lama have come forward to say that Indian news reports about Dagri Rinpoche are fake, and people who talk about Dagri Rinpoche’s abusive actions are liars. These people have claimed that this was all orchestrated by Dorje Shugden practitioners. That is, instead of sanctioning an abuser, they choose instead to continuing demonizing a group of people for their religious beliefs. Is there any surprise then, that Ms. Jaki had such an awful and difficult experience approaching the FPMT management for help with her experience of abuse? Instead of taking away her pain, they added to the trauma. And what is worse, praying to something which the Tibetan leadership cannot prove is evil, or being proven as an organization that aids, abets and protects a person in robes who has sexually molested people for decades? Which one is the more evil sinner? Someone who has molested countless women who deserve respect because they came to you for spirituality, or people who practice Dorje Shugden? FPMT should not sweep this under the rug like they do with everything else, using elaborate explanations and eloquent words. They often make spurious accusations about other people being Chinese spies, but it looks like the karma has come back to them. The tide has turned as this is an issue can become massive and so how can FPMT bear a holier-than-thou attitude now? They, along with Sera Jey Monastery in South India where Dagri Rinpoche hails from, have to speak up. If they remain silent, their silence indicates their complicity in the abuse, and this will anger more people into escalating the matter. The damage Dagri Rinpoche inflicted on his victims is immense and the ones who have spoken up are brave. And it is thanks Ms. Jaki’s bravery to come forward and speak up that there is now clear proof that FPMT and the Dalai Lama’s Office are directly involved in the cover-up of a sexual abuser. This totally obliterates any denials that FPMT students and management continue to issue regarding Dagri Rinpoche’s innocence. What will FPMT do now, dismiss Ms. Jaki once again? FPMT should realize that women like Ms. Jaki and Dagri Rinpoche’s plane victim have suffered enough, without needing to have their experiences condescendingly dismissed as the so-called orchestrations of Shugden practitioners. We hope more victims will speak up and help put an end to the destruction of Buddhism arising in the form of teachers such as Dagri Rinpoche. FPMT, the Tibetan leaders, Sera Jey Monastery should not be concerned about protecting their own faces in order that the donations do not stop, but they should be concerned about protecting Buddhism and preventing further damage to it. This should be the priority. FPMT and the Dalai Lama’s Office have been hiding and covering for a fake monk who has been molesting and harassing women for decades. Ms. Jaki, as well as other people on Facebook, have stated clearly that there are many more victims of Dagri Rinpoche’s abuse. It is time they stop blaming everyone else for the rot in their organization. And it is time they make huge amends for the trauma they caused to Ms. Jaki and so many other victims. Throughout history, women have been suppressed, abused and marginalized. For FPMT and the Dalai Lama’s Office to be party in this, is disturbing, disappointing and disgusting. It is time they come clean about what else they have been doing before it is too late. The world is watching – what will FPMT do now?

Dagri Rinpoche is indeed a serial molester

TRANSCRIPT (click to expand)

Hello, everybody. My name is Jaki, my Tibetan name is Kunsang. I’m making this video about the Dagri Rinpoche issue because I don’t have a Facebook account and this is the only way that I know how to make it public. Apologies to the followers of Awakening Project in my other YouTube channel because I owe you a video since so many months, and I’m publishing this one first. But I’m sure you’ll understand why, and sorry also if I’m gonna be reading a bit, it’s just that I have so many things to say but I don’t want the video to be too long, so I just want to stick to the important points.I’m making this video because I was molested too by Dagri Rinpoche over 10 years ago when I was a Buddhist nun and I was living in Dharamsala, alright. I don’t want to go into detail during this video about what happened because it’s very long and it’s very painful. So, if you want to know exactly what he did to me, you can read my statutory declaration that I made at Kangra police station, it’s 4 pages and I’m sharing that also. So, you can read it if you like. You can see what happened, he put his hands all over me, he tried to take my clothes off, it’s so long, it’s 4 pages so you can read it if you like.And after that, after I made this statement which it took me a long time to have the courage to do it because during over a year people were trying to convince me that it didn’t happen, or that it was just out of compassion that he was giving me a massage, and all sort of things that you can imagine. I’m sure you can imagine, plus I was a Buddhist nun, and it’s a very very stressful situation. And every time after abuse or molestation, one feels guilty, one feels confused, one is blaming oneself, “Why did I stay?”, “Why did I let him come close to me?”, “Why did I let him touch me?”, and so on and so forth.So, this was going on for over a year and it’s normal because after abuse you need many years, sometimes all of your life, you know, to start, even start working on it, but some people who were supportive of me, they convinced me to do this declaration and I did it. I got 2 certified copies at the notary, I sent one to His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s Office and one to the FPMT’s office and what can I tell you, nothing happened. I mean the Dalai Lama’s Office set up a meeting with me and Dagri Rinpoche, which he tried to prevent. He tried, Dagri Rinpoche tried to prevent that meeting from happening, and so they set up a meeting. I tried to record the meeting with my mp3 player, they told me that I couldn’t do that, that for safety reasons I had to switch it off, so I had to switch it off. I don’t have a recording of that meeting, unfortunately. And during the meeting, Dagri Rinpoche apologized to me. He said that everything he did was out of compassion, that he was not gonna do that again. He was gonna be more mindful in regards to how to behave in front of Western women. It’s all sort of, you know, all that sort of excuses and stuff.So, I accepted the apology and I didn’t go to the police, alright. And after that, some FPMT centers said that Dagri Rinpoche was saying around that the meeting was for me to apologize to him, and that I was crying and begging for his forgiveness. I can’t believe it, it’s absolutely crazy. That is a lie. So, that means Dagri Rinpoche, on top of being a pervert, he’s also a big liar because I never ever apologized. I have nothing to apologize to him, and he’s the one who should be apologizing to all women he has molested through his life. So, that was the Dalai Lama meeting, he apologized and then he lied about it, so they didn’t do anything at the end, right. And also from the FPMT, I literally got nothing, like “Oh, he’s okay, he was giving your massage out of compassion”, and that’s it, they stuck to that version.I tried to contact many people. Some people were supportive, but the institutions did absolutely nothing about it. Not only after me but before me, many girls and women – laywomen, nuns, Western, Tibetan, Indians – have been molested by Dagri Rinpoche. I don’t know in which way we have to explain this again and again. In my case, more than 10 years I’ve been saying it, more than 10 years. Many lives have been destroyed, the faith of many Dharma practitioners have been seriously harmed by this. The Dharma life of many people has been seriously affected and many of these victims still have not been able to overcome the trauma of being molested by Dagri Rinpoche, and I’m talking especially about young Western nuns, young Western nuns that I know and that other people know as well. But they still don’t have the courage to come out.So, after all this happened, it was even worse because when I spoke up, then I became the bad person, alright. When I spoke up, then I was saying, I was told that I was crazy, that I was overreacting, that I wanted to attract attention. Please, seriously, like look at me. Have you seen a picture of Dagri Rinpoche? Why would I want to attract the person, the attention of such man? Come on, seriously! And many people defended him, and still now they are defending him, which I think is absolutely insane. But, I also want to say that I understand, especially monks and nuns that were ordained by him, I understand. And please, I want to ask to the public to forgive them, and to understand them. Because you cannot imagine what it is to think that your entire life is a lie, okay. Imagine the people who have got ordained by Dagri Rinpoche. Imagine, to receive ordination in the Buddhist tradition, in the monastic tradition, it’s very important that you get them from a pure monk, a monk that has pure vows. Imagine that you have been ordained and then after years, you find out that maybe, just maybe, you didn’t even get the vows. You were never a monk or a nun, because you were never given the vows by a pure gelong [note: fully ordained monk]. That’s…I don’t know, if you’re not a Dharma practitioner or a Buddhist monk or nun, I’m not sure you can understand how terrible and traumatic this is, but this is not only about self-liberation vows, also people who took Bodhisattva vows and Tantric initiations with him. They can’t face reality, it’s just too painful. So forgive them if they defend him, it’s just too harmful to see the truth, okay.So, even now, after the incident, the versions I’ve heard from FPMT centers is that they agreed with the version of Rinpoche, that he just smiled at the woman in the airplane and then she got upset because he smiled at her. Come on, how stupid do you think we are? How stupid, seriously? How stupid do you think people all around the world are? And women that have been molested, how long you think they’re gonna put up with it? He’s already 65 years old. You have any idea how many women he has molested throughout his life, just because he gets away with it, because he’s a Rinpoche? That’s not fair. So, I just want to say to that woman that was molested in the plane by Dagri Rinpoche, thank you, thank you so much for reporting him. You have done what many, many of us didn’t do or couldn’t do, or just didn’t have the courage to. Thank you so much because you’re not a Buddhist, you’re not a Westerner, and you have never seen him before, so you have no reason you know, to have like a, to make this up. Thank you. I’m so sorry what you went through. I know what you went through, and if you need any help in the case in court against Dagri Rinpoche, please contact me. I’ll send you all the information I have. I’m not in India now, but something can be arranged if you want to. I also want to tell to Kangra police, I’ve been trying to get in touch with the journalist who wrote the articles and with Gaggal police and with Kangra police and I haven’t been able to, but if you want, here’s the copy of my statutory declarations. If these can support the case against Dagri Rinpoche, I’ll do anything that’s necessary for that.And I also want to say to other women, to all the other women that were molested by Rinpoche, that I know that you were molested by him, and you know that I know. I know that you’re watching this video, and I know that you know that you were molested, and that you didn’t say anything. You know, those of you know who I’m talking about, please. I respected your privacy, everyone has respected your privacy for 10 years, even more. Now is the time to talk. Look, now he’s come out to the public, you don’t need to feel guilty anymore. You don’t need to be ashamed anymore, ok? Speak up, do something, go make a video, make a statement, go to your Dharma center, write a letter to Lama Zopa, start a blog, write a letter to His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s Office, protest if Dagri Rinpoche’s going to your center, refuse to go, refuse to go to the Dharma center if he’s there, do something and don’t feel ashamed. Don’t think that telling the truth is going to harm the Dharma, because Dharma is looking for the truth, so there’s no way that you can hurt the Dharma if you’re telling the truth. Tell the truth, do something even if it was 15 years ago, and if it was 10 years ago like me, it doesn’t matter. It’s not too late because the harm that he’s done to you has not still gone away, okay. So, do it, do something. And I want to say something to the FPMT. What are you gonna do now? What are you gonna do now? Are you gonna let him get away with it again? How many more victims? All the suffering of all the students that have been either molested by Rinpoche or whose faith and Dharma life has been hurt because of the actions of Rinpoche, all the suffering of all those people is on you because you kept inviting him to teach in the Dharma centers even after you knew about what he did, and you didn’t believe the women. So all the suffering of all these students, of all these practitioners, of all these women, if you don’t stop him now FPMT, all that suffering is on you.

Jaki’s Statutory Declaration

Page 1 of Ms. Jaki’s statutory declaration, lodged at Kangra Police Station and notarized in Dharamsala. Click to enlarge or click HERE to download the PDF.

Page 2 of Ms. Jaki’s statutory declaration, lodged at Kangra Police Station and notarized in Dharamsala. Click to enlarge or click HERE to download the PDF.

Page 3 of Ms. Jaki’s statutory declaration, lodged at Kangra Police Station and notarized in Dharamsala. Click to enlarge or click HERE to download the PDF.

Page 4 of Ms. Jaki’s statutory declaration, lodged at Kangra Police Station and notarized in Dharamsala. Click to enlarge or click HERE to download the PDF.

STATUTORY DECLARATION (click to expand)

All spelling and grammatical idiosyncrasies are the original author’s own I, Jakaira Perez Valdivia age 26 years D/o Mr. Juan Perez Passport No. XD549842 Spain declare the following facts: Around October 2008, during HH Dalai Lama teachings, I was staying in Tushita Meditation Center as going up and down from Thosamling was very much uncomfortable due to my back problem. As I heard that Dagri Rinpoche, also known as Pari Rinpoche, was in Dharamsala, I decided to visit him. I met him once in Italy and another time shortly after my arrival in India. After my Teacher, Geshe Jampa Gyatso, passed away in 2007 many of his students have sought advice from Dagri Rinpoche and I was advised to go to him for getting a blessing or advice for my health problem. I was diagnosed with a disk hernia at the beginning of that year and I was in a lot of pain, trying to avoid surgery at any cost. I arrived at his house behind Namgyal monastery as the end of the morning, guided by his attendant from whom I can’t recall the name. At that time I knew tibetan well enough to go to the audience without a translator. I gave Dagri Rinpoche some small present and explained my health problem. He asked questions about my life and studies. So it was lunch time and he asked me to stay for lunch and after to come with him to Dharamkot mountain in order to perform a fire puja with him. The attendant brought us meat momos and soup. As soon as we finished eating the attendant collected the dishes and then Rinpoche asked him to leave the apartment. I thought we were leaving too, but when the attendant left he asked me to lay down on the floor and take my clothes off. I asked why and he said he had to do ‘some work’ on me. I just took off my zen and dongka, and kept the nulen (undershirt) and shamtab, as I though that if he wanted to perform some kind of ritual for curing me it should only concern that part of my back. Then I sat on the floor. Dagri Rinpoche went to the little room where he keeps an altar and when he came back he had some glass container in his hands. He said it was a ‘very very holy substance’, put some in the container cap, drank from it, filled it again and then told me to drink it all at once. When I did so I noticed it was some strong alcoholic drink. After that he drank more and he kept drinking during the whole ‘session’, continuously. Then he told me again to take my clothes off and lay down. I didn’t take more clothes off but just laid down facing the ground. He started to recite some prayers and mantras while he was touching all my back and putting that alcoholic drink all over it. He said that I should loosen my shamtab as it was too high and it was covering all the lower back (which is the place where I actually had the hernia). So I loosened a bit the shamtab and as soon as I did that, he put his hands under my robes, quite down my lower back, reaching the area of my buttocks. I quickly held my shamtab tight and told him I was feeling very uncomfortable. He said ‘don’t worry it’s okay, we are brothers.’ So he started reciting more prayers and massaging and putting alcohol on my back. I’d like to remark the fact that during the whole situation he was very skillful in dissimulating and adopting a discrete attitude (reciting mantras and prayers louder) after having gone too close to my private parts. Then he squatted with each foot on one side of my body and then sat on my buttocks, pressing his body on me several times. Then he told me to turn around. He started to touch, massaging and putting alcohol in my belly and surrounding areas, trying to touch my breasts and pelvis, which he didn’t manage because I was holding my shirt tight on my breast with one hand and the shamtab with the other. Noticing this he started laughing and said ‘your a very good nun, very pure mind.’ At that point my body was completely covered in alcohol, then he told me to sit. I thought it was finished and I was about to dress up properly, but he told me to wait. I was sitting facing the wall and he was behind me, reciting mantras, etc. Suddenly he embraced me, from behind trying to touch my breasts with his hands. As I was swiftly trying to put one arm between my breast and his hands and using the other hand to hold my shamtab, I just noticed at then end that he was pushing he penis against my back. When he let go he told me to take a shower in his private toilet. As I completely smelled like alcohol and it would have been really inappropriate to go outside like that, I approached the toilet, and he gave me his personal towel to dry my body. I had a really quick shower and when I came out he was seating on the bed-like throne that is in his room. He asked me to seat next to him while he was reading some prayers, he pulled the right side of his dingwa towards him to let me seat on that side of the bed. Then he asked me to touch his right arm, he asked me to massage it. I said I didn’t know how to give massages. Then, as I didn’t do it he rubbed his arm on my hand and legs (I was seating crossed legs on the bed-throne). Then he asked me to recite some mantras and said he was going to bless my chackras, he started touching the forehead, then the throat, and as I put my arms crossed on my breast and belly, he didn’t go for the ‘lower chackras’. After that he told me to go to the other side of the room, where the chairs are, and wait. After finishing his recitation, he phoned to his attendant telling him that now it was okay to come back, but not to rush. When he arrived to the other side of the room I stood up, he came close to me and put his cheek on my neck and face and told me quietly in the ear ‘we are brothers’. I told him ‘actually we are not’. Then he went to the room where he keeps the altar, and when he came back he had in his hands a dark plastic container of which the contents were not possible to be seen from outside. Then he told me this was the inner offering, and instructed me to drink one cap of it each day and to spread it also on my low back. While reciting mantras, again he put some of it in the containers cap and drank it, then filled it up again and told me I must drink it all at once because it is the inner offering, so I did, and off course it was and alcoholic substance. He laughed and said ‘be careful ani-la you will get drunk’, and the he drank more, then he gave me the plastic containers to take home, he said he put the alcohol there because otherwise it would have been inappropriate if people sees me carrying the bottle. Then he kept drinking from the other glass container. He told me not to tell anyone about this, and not to show anyone the ‘inner offering’. The attendant came and he insisted me to go with them to Dharamkot for the fire puja, I told him that it was getting late and that I must go back to Tushita for the registration in the office. Then Rinpoche said they will give me a ride. We went out, the attendant stopped a taxi and we went up to Dharamkot. When the taxi reached Tushita’s private road, Rinpoche held my hand and put five hundred rupees in my bag. I said goodbye to him and the attendant very cordially to not let the attendant suspect that any unusual thing happened. When I arrived at Tushita it was around 3.00pm. This is what I recall.

This is very sad news. Ms. Adelaide Foster says:

“I was told by LZR * to not talk about it ten years ago. I asked him to make sure he was always monitored and not left alone with other women. Unfortunately, he did it again on an airplane last week, and the indian medias have mentioned he was detained. Tibetans, and fpmt are silent.” * Lama Zopa Rinpoche

Some FPMT centers actually have the courage to say ‘no’ and disinvite Dagri Rinpoche from their events.

MESSAGES OF SUPPORT

Some of Jakaira’s friends have published their own eyewitness accounts detailing what took place after Jakaira first spoke up about the assault she suffered under the hands of Dagri Rinpoche. Their accounts corroborate with hers and describe the distress she felt after the assault. They also describe the subsequent abuse she received from people who did not believe what she said. So not only was she suffering from the trauma of being sexually assaulted by a “Rinpoche” but she also had to suffer the indignity and wearisome exercise of trying to convince people she was telling the truth. In one of the accounts, Tenzin Taklha (the Dalai Lama’s private secretary) is named as the official from the Dalai Lama’s Office who attended the meeting that Jakaira had in Namgyal Monastery, Dharamsala. The eyewitness accounts also reveal that Dagri Rinpoche assaulted an American nun who is as yet unnamed and unidentified. They clearly state that at the time, Jakaira received support from nuns like Jetsunma Tenzin Palmo. From their statements, it is evident that Dagri Rinpoche is guilty, that Jakaira was assaulted, that the Dalai Lama and FPMT did nothing about it and, much worse than that, covered it up and never brought sanctions against Dagri Rinpoche. The fact they knew and did nothing, gave Dagri Rinpoche another 10 more years to assault countless more victims.

Nun Thubten Chodron Speaks Out Against Dagri Rinpoche

Western Buddhist teacher Thubten Chodron talks about Dagri Rinpoche in her 15-minute video. She mentions at 01:52-05:06 that she has heard of the allegations against him. Dagri Rinpoche was one of Sravasti Abbey’s spiritual advisors and also gave talks at their Dharma center. Over the last couple of days, they have removed his videos from their site. They have also removed mention of him being one of their advisors. The video was published on 10th May 2019.

Transcript (01:52 – 05:06)

“I had heard other allegations, you know a couple of years ago, about the same teacher but at that time I was only hearing a second hand [account] here, a second hand [account] there. The people who were making the allegations weren’t identified, I wasn’t told their names, I could not go talk to them, I couldn’t ask them questions. There was no investigation with a published report and so based on just that, a lack of information, there was no way I could say, yeah, you know, make a conclusion about the whole thing. I just had to leave it very open. So now, I’m really hoping that… I’m sure the police will do something but I think more than that, [it] is necessary that the one Dharma group where he [teaches], the big Dharma organization (FPMT) where he teaches a lot, I think they should do an independent investigation because for these kinds of things if you just kind of sit back and wait, then the air doesn’t get cleared up and nobody knows for sure what happened. And I think it’s better, you know, have a party that isn’t involved in this at all do an investigation and talk to the various people. And I think the women who you know have been molested should come forth, if there’s an investigation like this, and talk to the people. Maybe they don’t want to be identified by their name but they should at least speak to the investigators if there is an investigation which I sure hope there is because in these kinds of things I think you have to get reliable information because it also has happened, I think it was a couple of years ago or maybe one year ago when this whole thing exploded about another lama. I gave a whole series of talks…”

Adelaide Foster speaks up for her friend Jaki – French

Adelaide Foster speaks up for her friend Jaki – English

TRANSCRIPT (click to expand)

Hello, today, Dagri Rinpoche published a statement in Tibetan regarding the allegations of sexual molestation made against him. The letter was published in Tibetan only unfortunately, and in Sera Monastery in South India. For those who don’t speak Tibetan, I will give an overview of some of the points raised in that letter, in that statement. So Rinpoche talks about the two incidents he’s been involved in. The first one that happened on May 2nd 2019 on a flight from Delhi to Dharamsala and the second one is an incident that happened almost 10, I think more or less 10 years ago in India in Dharamsala. The first one from the flight involves an Indian woman, who involved the police and the police arrested Dagri Rinpoche before releasing him on bail. So first of all, the account Dagri Rinpoche gives about this incident is that during the flight he wasn’t comfortable, and he moved and this woman woke up and started saying things to him which he did not understand according to him, and because he didn’t understand and out of the kindness of his heart he smiled at her. Few lines later, he says she accused him of touching her everywhere. I wonder when Rinpoche got to understand what she said, usually, you have to understand that in these flights there are always Tibetans, and Tibetans speak Hindi because they usually have stayed in India for a long while, so I find it very unlikely that he did not understand what had happened. Nevertheless, the two accounts, a few sentences apart, seem quite different. So, the second molestation charge that he mentioned is from Jakaira’s recent video and she talks about a time, 10 years ago more or less, when she was molested by Rinpoche. At that time I was in Dharamshala, and you heard that I was a friend and am still her friend and I saw her, how distraught she was at the time, that was not faked. I have seen how she is not like that, usually. How Dagri Rinpoche is the only person with whom she had that problem, and she has never talked about any other problem of the same kind, about other people doing that to her, so that’s something maybe people should know. Dagri Rinpoche in the statement he made, he refers to her as ‘ani’, which is aunty in Tibetan, it’s how you call nuns when you are not very respectful, and I’ve hardly seen it written. Usually in written Tibetan, so when you write Tibetan and the way you speak Tibetan, it’s almost two different languages. And the way you write, when you talk about a nun, you write ‘tsunma’. I think it’s really one of the first time I’ve seen it written in this non-respectful way. He’s entitled to his opinions of course, but it pops to your mind when you see it because usually you don’t. And the first thing he says is that this ani was coming, this nun was coming, this auntie was coming with mind and body problems. She had problems of the mind, that’s literally what he’s written in the statement. That’s something that occurred to her, at some other point one of her friend was accosted by Dagri Rinpoche’s attendant ten years ago allegedly. I have no proof. This friend can’t talk about it and the attendant told her without knowing they were friends, that Jakaira was crazy, after the incident, of course. So that’s not something new, that he calls people crazy without any proof. Tibetan society is very hierarchical and what you show, and your reputation, and your face, saving face is extremely important. So he was building a negative reputation around her, and again this letter is again using the same methods to discriminate her testimony. In the more than ten years that I have known Jakaira, I’ve not seen signs of mental issues. I’m studying, I’m in grad school in Psychology, hopefully I should be able to notice if people have strong mental issues. Rinpoche also in the statement mentioned six witnesses that can testify that he’s right about what happened because they had a meeting. I don’t know how long but I was told it wasn’t like a few months I think. I’m not sure exactly what was the timeline, but quite soon after the molestation incident they had a meeting because Jakaira had talked to, had sent an affidavit of her testimony to His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s office, as well as the head of the FPMT Roger, Venerable Roger. And the second six witnesses that took part in a meeting that can testify actually include Rinpoche himself, and includes Jakaira, includes her friend, includes Chimila who was working, with working at His Holiness Dalai Lama’s Office, Private Office, as well as the attendant of Rinpoche. So, the six witnesses disagree to what Rinpoche say, I cannot say all of them because of course, Rinpoche’s attendant and Rinpoche will not disagree with themselves. Hopefully this is good because then, we will go back into the mental issue. Issue, problem, problematic. I was not at that meeting, I cannot testify. What I have to say about this is hearsay, and that it is Jakaira herself just told me then and now again that Rinpoche actually apologized to her at that meeting And then there is two other things I want to mention about that statement. The statement continues on that people that point fingers at him do that with anger and attachment, anger, hate, and attachment and they collect bad karma so Rinpoche requests, let’s say don’t collect bad karma by talking about his negativities, no, talking him bad about him. Doesn’t acknowledge he did anything wrong. This is an implied threat because he wants to shut people up, he wants to make people stop talking about him, in that way talking about the problematic here and that if they do talk they’d have very bad karma. So the statement, the public statement and by stating that he hopes everybody is happy. Basically, I don’t remember exactly the wording, but it’s again a bit different from what he has said, written before that, that he was not himself very respectful, but he hoped that people will be respectful, and will be happy and collect all positive karma by shutting up in parenthesis. Anyway, one last thing I want to say about this issue is that please be aware that the Tibetan communities, the monastic communities are very hierarchical, people on top are very powerful, and it’s not an easy thing to speak out, and very few people have done so, but we’ve heard many testimonies of things similar happening around Dagri Rinpoche. I don’t want people to be hurt in that. I was advised not to talk about it because, by some, because they threatened my position in Dharamsala, and by others because in Dharma you’re in Buddhist practice, you’re supposed to only talk about the qualities of others and your own negativities, and that’s it. But people get hurt, and it’s not okay to let people get hurt, whether it’s for a hierarchical belief or religious belief or spiritual belief, it’s not okay to hurt people and to let people get hurt. You have to take position sometimes, and thank gods, or thank science, because if we did not take position, we will let things happen. If people in the Second World War hadn’t taken a position, how many people would have died, would have been killed? Taking position is one of a human value or for human characteristics, and using our human intelligence, we can and we should be aware of what’s happening around us and not believe that people who have a big name, who are said to be so and so, can only be perfect. People have to use their human intelligence, they have to check around, to see by themselves, to try to be unbiased in these things to make up their mind, but that’s a step to be unbiased. It’s the first step toward a decision, toward a side taking, and it shouldn’t be that people just stop there and become mindless. So, please people, do look around, ask yourself why Rinpoche hasn’t been in FPMT centres in Australia for a while. Ask yourself, ask yourself why some ethical rules of the FPMT are not answered. Ask yourself, what is happening? Think by yourself, analyze situation because Dharma is about finding the truth and looking for the truth and not just accepting things and staying silent. So, thank you very much and just relax and be happy.

A THIRD VICTIM GOES PUBLIC

On 14th May 2019, a Korean lady by the name of Young Sun Shin went public with her experience with Dagri Rinpoche. She said she asked His Holiness the Dalai Lama and Ling Rinpoche for help. From the Dalai Lama’s Office, she was told that the Dalai Lama is very busy. From Ling Rinpoche, he commented on the incident, saying that it was very bad but no action was taken. She lived in India between 2005 and 2009 but after this incident, she returned to Korea because no one spoke up and protected her. Just like FPMT, the Dalai Lama’s Office and Ling Rinpoche chose to sweep this abuse under the rug. How many more women will Dagri Rinpoche molest and abuse before there are consequences?

After Ms. Shin went public with her account of being molested by Dagri Rinpoche, Tsawa Khangtsen’s predictable first reaction was to blame Dorje Shugden practitioners. This angered Ms. Shin who is not associated with practitioners of Dorje Shugden and in fact, does not even identify with the Gelug tradition. Ms. Shin responded by posting photographs of herself with Dagri Rinpoche and other documents proving that she does not practice Dorje Shugden, that she knew Dagri Rinpoche and that the details of her account are accurate i.e. she was where she said she would be when the molestation happened. That Dorje Shugden practitioners are responsible for all of this is downright illogical. The Indian woman who lodged a complaint in Gaggal Police Station is not a Dorje Shugden practitioner; Ms. Jaki and Ms. Shin are both not practitioners, and neither is the abuser Dagri Rinpoche. Neither are the Indian media who have been publicizing this case all over the globe; are they all under the so-called “unholy influence of Mara’s forces”, in Tsawa Khangtsen’s words? How insulting of Tsawa Khangtsen to assume that the Indian media are unable to fulfill their journalistic duty to report accurately and objectively. And exactly how is it relevant if someone practices Dorje Shugden or not, so as long as they are suffering the trauma of being assaulted? Tsawa Khangtsen’s blaming Dorje Shugden practitioners, instead of offering to assist the victims, is an insult to all victims of sexual abuse. It belittles their trauma, dismissing their experiences as the machinations of an unrelated group. Is this how monks behave, prioritizing their reputation and sources of income before thinking about how to alleviate the suffering of sentient beings?Instead of taking responsibility, instead of apologizing, Tsawa Khangtsen sought to shift the blame elsewhere. Ms. Shin and other victims have every right to be upset.

Tsawa Khangtsen tried to shift the blame for this incident onto practitioners of Dorje Shugden, when it is not relevant. Their accusation has only served to upset Ms. Shin who responded below. (Source: https://www.facebook.com/serajetsawa.khamtsen/posts/2266101596815643)

Nearly a week after Dagri Rinpoche was arrested for molesting an Indian lady on a Delhi-Dharamsala flight, FPMT International finally released an official statement announcing that they have suspended Dagri Rinpoche from their list of official teachers. This means that Dagri Rinpoche will no longer be allowed to teach in or visit any FPMT centres. The suspension shows that FPMT believe the allegations of the women who are speaking up against Dagri Rinpoche.

In the statement, FPMT admitted to having prior knowledge of the serious allegations against Dagri Rinpoche as far back as 2011, that the Dalai Lama’s Office were fully aware of Dagri Rinpoche’s sexual abuse, and that Dagri Rinpoche had been sternly warned to avoid similar situations in the future. FPMT also claims to have warned FPMT centres of the potential dangers of inviting Dagri Rinpoche (i.e. the dangers of Dagri Rinpoche making sexual advances on their female members and students). Given that FPMT had such foreknowledge, the big question is, why did FPMT remain quiet for so long after news of the Indian lady being molested was announced? Why didn’t FPMT give more stringent warnings to all their international members when complaints about Dagri Rinpoche began circulating again a year ago? Why was FPMT so irresponsible to not remove Dagri Rinpoche from their approved teachers list a year ago, or eight years ago? Why did FPMT try to cover up the situation for so long until now when all hell has broken loose? Shame on you FPMT for being another religious organisation that covers up sexual scandals and allows your members to be exposed to abuse by sexual predators in positions of power. FPMT will now and forever be seen as an organisation that knowingly harbours sexual predators and does nothing about it. It is unbelievably sad that so many nuns and women needed to be accosted by Dagri Rinpoche before FPMT finally decided to break their silence. FPMT should have suspended and disqualified Dagri Rinpoche a long time ago instead of sending him all over the world and allowing many more women to become victims. Dagri Rinpoche is a sexual predator of the highest degree. Now, victims and their friends are speaking up and even more victims will emerge from the woodwork. They are no longer keeping quiet. FPMT’s lame suspension of Dagri Rinpoche will not placate the public. The Dagri Rinpoche issue will not simply go away but will continue to grow and keep coming back to haunt FPMT again and again. Strong actions are what is needed now to show that FPMT are sincere and serious about making up for their mistakes. For their part in covering up Dagri Rinpoche’s sexual abuse, FPMT must issue a public apology. What Dagri Rinpoche did is a crime punishable under the law with jail time. It is high time that FPMT stop sitting on the fence to protect themselves but actively support the police investigations into Dagri Rinpoche and cooperate to the fullest extent in order to not lose even more credibility.

Weeks after the FPMT’s silence on Dagri Rinpoche’s molestation charges, Lama Zopa Rinpoche finally addressed the issue, in what became a ‘teaching’. In fact, Lama Zopa only touched lightly on the Dagri issue before his talk meandered to other topics inviting listeners to forget about Dagri Rinpoche’s offences. Essentially, Lama Zopa’s explanation is that the women who were abused by Dagri Rinpoche should view him as a deity because Dagri had a couple of dreams that he went to Gaden Heaven and was in fact an extraordinary being. No, you didn’t hear it wrong. To be sure, Lama Zopa advised that because Dagri Rinpoche had dreams that he, Dagri, was extraordinary, the women should just let him do whatever he likes to them. If Lama Zopa’s view is to be accepted, then we can all do away with the law, monastic rules, vows and everything that has kept the practice of Buddhism on the straight and narrow. Everyone who commits a crime should not be required to be brought to justice, provided the perpetrator has had a couple of dreams of being a deity. According to Lama Zopa, Dagri Rinpoche’s victims are to accept this explanation and deal with the crime inflicted upon them happily. This is precisely the kind of medieval thinking, used to justify slavery and serfdom. Having said all that, this explanation is convenient because if all Dagri Rinpoche’s victims were to behold him in this ‘pure view,’ then Lama Zopa and the FPMT would have no need to deal with a very thorny issue and the inconvenient fact that they have been caught covering up for him. On his part, Dagri Rinpoche would be completely unshackled and it is frightening to think what he would do with this unrestricted immunity.

Lama Zopa had a choice, to take the bull by the horns and deal with a dangerous predator’s exploits in a logical and conventional way so that everyone can see that the FPMT does not condone misconducts by members of it’s teaching fraternity, or throw the burden back on the victims and ask them to deal with it. If indeed Dagri Rinpoche is special and extraordinary it would have been easier for him to act responsibly and lead more people to the dharma and to increase the faith of Buddhist aspirants. Why ask ordinary people to think in extraordinary ways when supposedly extraordinary lamas cannot abide by even common codes of decency? However special the explanation sounds, the fact remains that the victims are human beings and experience sufferings as ordinary people do. To throw the burden back to them is to add to their suffering. If we are to accept Lama Zopa’s reasoning, then we should now inform all future victims of Dagri Rinpoche to start seeing him as an extraordinary being and to welcome being molested and touched inappropriately. Everyone, and there will be a lot of them, should be informed ahead of time, that they should just expect Dagri to sexually assault them, use them however he likes and it is their responsibility to deal with this attack and feel “blessed”.Victims of Dagri Rinpoche’s offences should be told now not to waste time and emotional energy trying to get justice in future. Imagine if we apply this explanation to all aspects of life, there would be no need for anyone to behave at all and all we would need as we like is to have dreams.

THE PUBLIC REACTS

Not everyone is as enamored with Lama Zopa’s statement as FPMT would have you believe. Members of the public have already gone onto his Facebook Fanpage to voice their disagreement and disapproval. Most of them find the statement to be totally out of touch, disregarding the victims’ experiences and trying to whitewash the situation. They can see beyond the nice Dharma words, that Lama Zopa is trying to distract the public from the real issue – that his organization, FPMT, is complicit in the cover-up of Dagri Rinpoche’s sexual abuse. The result? The statement ends up excusing Dagri Rinpoche’s behavior, and telling the victims that it is their fault they do not have ‘pure view’. But the question is, if there was nothing to be guilty of, why even provide advice to anyone on how to maintain faith in Dagri Rinpoche? He has to provide advice because there are people to provide advice to, and those people are his victims.

Pam Rubin’s powerful posting analyzing the shortcomings of Tsawa Khangtsen and Dagri Rinpoche’s statements, elicited responses from her friends that were overwhelmingly negative and critical of their reaction (Source: https://www.facebook.com/pam.rubin.7/posts/10161729794825511)

Pema Sarah Cash makes it clear that FPMT has been covering up sexual molestation and abuse since the 1980s (Source: https://www.facebook.com/sean.jones.54772/posts/10216392866347252)

This is the first time Tricycle, a prominent Buddhist publication, has published criticism of Lama Zopa. The first criticism came in the form of a powerful letter written by a group of prominent nuns addressed directly to FPMT and calling for an independent investigation. This letter is significant not only because of the nuns’ reputations but because it mentions there are more women who were molested by Dagri Rinpoche who are still anonymous. Being that these nuns already dare to speak up, if an independent investigation begins, it is likely that they will encourage the anonymous victims to come forward and aid in the investigation. The reality is that these nuns would not compose an open letter to FPMT if they were not absolutely surethat Dagri Rinpoche is guilty of his crimes; they would not lend their names to a campaign or movement that they did not have evidence or a basis for. They also would not call for an independent investigation if they were not already sure of the outcome.

The nuns’ open letter to FPMT. Click to enlarge.

The nuns’ open letter to FPMT. Click to enlarge.

JAKAIRA REPLIES

Tricycle also received a statement from Jakaira Perez Valdivia which they published. In her scathing reply, she systematically refutes and criticizes Dagri Rinpoche’s statement, FPMT’s statement and Lama Zopa’s response. In particular, she says that Lama Zopa’s response is an attempt to use karma and religion to excuse Dagri Rinpoche’s crimes. Elsewhere, Lama Zopa’s response has also been met with widespread derision for being tone deaf, out of touch and lacking in compassion or sympathy for the victims. It is time for FPMT to do more, and to agree to an independent investigation or it will appear as though they are once again attempting to conceal the truth and deceive the public. Unless FPMT comes clean and are honest with what really happened, the Dagri molestation case will forever be a stain on Lama Zopa’s and FPMT’s reputations since they have spent the past decade covering it up.

BURNING NEWS: How to protect yourself from lama murta?

Ordinary Tibetans are now coming forward to offer advice to non-Tibetans on how they can protect themselves against sexual abuse and how they can prevent it from happening. This is unlike Lama Zopa and FPMT who expose vulnerable students to abusive characters like Dagri Rinpoche, by continuing to promote them as a valid source of teachings. Furthermore, FPMT and Lama Zopa have also chosen to sweep the issue of sexual abuse under the rug, and advise victims how to view the abuse AFTER they have experienced it. Clearly ordinary Tibetans like Mila Rangzen understand that prevention better than cure. It is precisely because of organizations like the FPMT that these days, students have to be warned against abusive lamas. It is precisely because of organizations like FPMT that these days, students have to be taught how to force their teachers to tell the truth. If FPMT had a culture of transparency, teachers like Dagri Rinpoche would not be allowed to get away with their abuse.

TRANSCRIPT (click to expand)

Hi, Welcome to Tibet Star. Today, the topic I have is on how to fight lama molestation. This video is especially for non-Tibetans who face this kind of problem. First thing first, never enter into a room alone with a lama, or Tulku or Rinpoche. It’s a big no-no, no. If you have to be in a room with a lama, make sure there’s a witness. Two, any time a molestation occurs, make sure you have a photo or an audio, or the best would be a video to prove your claims and also keep a diary or a journal. Write everything down with dates, timing, everything. Now, number five, make sure you go and blog about it, and then go to Youtube and talk about it, and share it on Facebook, and take the molesting lama to the media and challenge, now, this is very important, challenge him to do all of the following. Number one, challenge him, challenge him to make a statement, a press statement, a written statement. Two, challenge him to come to YouTube and defend himself. Then challenge him to do a press conference, not just a written statement where you cannot see his face and facial expression, and body language. These are very important to get some sense of whether the person is telling the truth, when people could ask questions and find out what really happened. And then challenge him to go through a lie-detector test. Now, these two are somewhat traditional. Nevertheless, they are very powerful in the Tibetan world. Challenge him to swear upon his root guru and other high Lamas that he respects. Challenge him to swear upon their lives that his claims are true, that he is telling the truth. For those non-Tibetans, this will freak out most of the Tibetans, including lamas, Tulkus and Rinpoches. When you challenge them to swear upon their root guru. Because their fear of hell is real, 18 realms of hell, to them is real, and you talk about Vajra Hell, it will scare the shit out of them. 99% of them will not be able to swear upon their root guru, and that can give you an idea whether the person is telling the truth or not. If he’s innocent, he shouldn’t have any problem in swearing upon his root guru. But if he’s guilty, 99% of the time he will not do it. 99% of the lamas, Tulkus, Rinpoches will not do it if they are guilty, because their fear of hell is real. Then, challenge him to meet you at Nechung and Palden Lhamo temple in Dharamsala. It could be done anywhere else where you have a statue of Nechung and Palden Lhamo, but do it in Dharamsala. This is symbolic, this is far more powerful. Challenge him to come, and both of you will swear before Nechung, the oracle Nechung and Palden Lhamo. This will again freak out the lama, Rinpoche, Tulku, if he’s guilty because their fear of the hell is very real. What they fear is one, the belief is that as soon as you go to, go before the Nechung and oracle is claiming to be telling the truth. So whoever is guilty, whoever lies, what happens, the belief is that within a month or so, the one who is guilty, the one who is lying will throw up blood and die. This is one fear they have. Two, while they are dead, they’re afraid that they will be reborn in hell, one of the 18 hells, or Vajra Hell. Now, what kind of signs will show if the person, the guilty person is lying is that a misfortune will strike him in the next 30 days, or sometimes 90 days, max one year. Either he could lose his limbs in an accident, or he catches some terminal disease, or he dies. Now, this fear is real, so it’s pointers. Now, when you go about it, to go about it in an ascending order, not in a descending order because that will destroy the climax, because there will be no climax at all. And so, take your time. It could be a week between each move that you take, or sometimes it could be between a couple of days between each move that you make. So make your move accordingly. Don’t throw all the 15 moves that I’m talking about on his face in a single day. Don’t do that. One at a time and build up momentum, and finally come down to Nechung and oracle, and that will scare the shit out of the lama, trust me. Now, what do you do after that? Usually when Tibetans have this kind of problems or similar problems, they take it to Nechung and Palden Lhamo, and it gets decided right there and they do not go to the court. Now, in this case, take him to the police, hire a lawyer and challenge him in the court. I know most of the points that I raised here are pretty obvious to many of the women who go through molestation, but as an insider and someone who belongs to the inner core once, these swearing in, challenging him to swear upon his root guru, and meeting at Nechung and Palden Lhamo to decide the outcome, these are unbelievably powerful. So use them. Basically what you do at the temple is you swear, you prostrate, probably three times before the statue of Nechung and oracle, and swear that you are, both of you will swear that you’re telling the truth, and whoever lies, whoever is guilty should meet with an unfortunate incident anytime soon. So, that could be losing a limb in an accident or could be an actual death, and then you part from there. Now everything is decided by the Nechung Oracle. That’s the belief system, so exploit it, of course, for your good purpose.

Just over a week after the FPMT’s initial statement regarding Dagri Rinpoche’s molestation charges, the FPMT has come up with a second statement. Firstly, it should be noted that this second FPMT statement would not have been necessary if the FPMT had been sincere in addressing the Dagri problem from the start. Clearly, the FPMT tried to sidestep taking responsibility for its senior teacher’s abuses of innocent victims, and that sparked a huge public outcry making this second statement necessary. In its first statement, the FPMT did not even acknowledge the pain and sufferings of Dagri’s victims, which it now does after considerable arm-twisting and pressure from the public. If anyone is wondering if the FPMT is sincere about finding a proper remedy for Dagri’s victims, they should have the answer now. The FPMT now claims that it understands how difficult it has been for the victims to speak out publicly. Again if this were true, the FPMT would have provided a safe platform for Dagri’s victims to surface confidentlyand facilitated investigations by now. This was in fact what senior nuns like Jetsunma Tenzin Palmo called for, but to date apart from lip service, this has not happened.

After a casual and almost perfunctory mention of the feelings of Dagri’s victims, the FPMT spends the bulk of its second statement explaining its Ethical Policy as if to say that its commitment ends there and beyond that, it does not owe a duty of care to anyonewho comes to the FPMT for the dharma, nor is it truly interested in preserving the Mahayana tradition. A number of points need to be highlighted. This is the FPMT in the raw. Have a good look.

POINTS (click to expand)

The FPMT acknowledged that the Office of the Dalai Lama notified it of Dagri’s sexual assault against Jakaira Perez Valdivia in 2011. The fact the Jakaira Perez had to lodge a complaint with the Dalai Lama’s office is proof that she could not get anyone in FPMT to take her seriously and therefore had to resort to seeking help elsewhere. This culture remains seeing how weeks after news of Dagri’s sexual abuses broke, the FPMT is still dodging blame and toying with semantics.

The FPMT had the audacity to state that the assault on Jakaira Perez did not take place at an FPMT centre, and it implies that because of that, they do not have to take any responsibility. This is a shocking statement because it reveals the FPMT’s true character, not whether the organization and its people are doing the right thing but how it can escape liability. The fact that the assault was conducted by one of its senior teaching staff did not matter to the FPMT. In other words, it doesn’t matter what Dagri does and who he harms. The FPMT is prepared to ignore all that so long as it can escape liability and this is supposed to a centre that preserves the teachings of the Buddha? This is not an organization that is socially responsible, and its behaviour is more akin to the mafia than an organization that claims to uphold the Buddha’s teachings.

In the FPMT’s second statement, it also acknowledged that it was quite happy to shrug responsibility of its staff and expect someone else (in this case, the Dalai Lama’s office) to clean up after it. Presumably the weight of the Dalai Lama’s office come in handy to sweep the issue under the rug. What is critical is the FPMT’s acknowledgement that it did not conduct its own investigation into complaints against Dagri. This is important to note because it goes to show that the FPMT is not seeking for truth and facts to be revealed. It is not interested in protecting victims. It is not interested in rectifying flaws in its system and to make sure that further damage to innocent people are avoided and those who have been harmed receive the help they need.

We can also safely gather that the FPMT knew about Dagri’s predatorial ways, but continued to let him be on the prowl. The FPMT shows that it is not truly interested in what Dagri does, nor is it truly interested in the wellbeing of its regional centres. All it is interested in is to protect itself and hence all the FPMT did was to ‘remind’ its regional and national coordinators of complaints against Dagri but at the same time, promoting him as a credible teacher. We also see how Lama Zopa refers to Dagri as a holy being. Therefore the FPMT’s warnings are hollow and put in place for exactly situations like this so they can avoid culpability. In the FPMT’s second statement, it also confirmed that Jakaira Perez’s matter was still not dealt with adequately in 2012. A number of things become clear – the FPMT had no intentions of getting to the bottom of the Jakaira Perez incident. It is also clear that the FPMT must have continued to receive complaints about Dagri, which is why it became necessary to issue reminders to its regional and national coordinators in 2018. Why this 2018 reminder was necessary is suspicious. The pattern of serial sex offenders is almost all similar. They are habitual offenders and will continue to assault women so long as they are shielded and protected like the FPMT has been protecting Dagri. We know for sure that Dagri abused Jajaira Perez in 2011. We know of a 2013 case, and we know that FPMT felt it necessary to remind its regional and national coordinators about Dagri in 2018 and we know that Dagri molested a woman on a plane in 2019. The way Dagri brazenly attacked a woman on a plane in public indicates that he is unafraid and already out of control, thanks to the FPMT’s protection all these years that have emboldened him.

The FPMT’s second statement also makes it very clear that they will not allow an independent investigation. The FPMT is awaiting results of the Indian investigation. In other words, the FPMT is waiting to see if they can get away with liability. The investigation by the Indian police will not cover Jakaira Perez’s case or any cases of Dagri’s abuses in the past. For all intents and purposes, this is history to the FPMT and something they have managed to get away with. As to the “professional assistance” the FPMT alluded to, it will not be a stretch to guess that experts have been engaged to spin the FPMT’s reputation out of the dirt and also the lawyers are ready to defend FPMT. Never mind if people continue to be hurt.

Lama Zopa’s attempts to wriggle the FPMT out of the Dagri mess is nothing but a cheap trick

In an orchestrated move, Lama Zopa the head of the organization issued a second statement on the Dagri Rinpoche scandal. This took place on the same day as the FPMT’s second statement on the same issue. Characteristic of spin doctors at work Lama Zopa’s first statement was, in essence, telling Dagri’s victims to rejoice that they were sexually abused by a ‘holy being’ by virtue of Dagri’s self-declaration and Lama Zopa’s endorsement. It would have been difficult for Lama Zopa to change his story after such a bold claim and so in his second statement, Lama Zopa launched into a series of stories, which infer Dagri to be on par with the Buddha Shakyamuni, the Mahasiddha Asanga and the great Getsul Tsembulwa. This itself is designed to silence Dagri’s critics and victims by continuing to imply that they are persecuting a holy being. But in his second statement Lama Zopa goes further and now directly tells victims and Dagri’s accusers that they have to subdue their own mind. Basically, it is repeat of Lama Zopa’s first statement that is, Dagri is holy being and although he has harmed innocent women, it is the victims who have to subdue their own minds rather than point out the crime and the criminal. Lama Zopa preaches monastic practices that forbid anyone from retaliating to harm inflicted upon them but as to why he would ask lay people to follow monastic rules when monks like Dagri do not have to abide by his vows, is a complete mystery. If anything this reeks of trickery.

To insult victims and Dagri’s critics, Lama Zopa insists that because Dagri’s victims and critics are not enlightened, they are not entitled to investigate Dagri. According to Lama Zopa, Dagri is enlightened and therefore he is exempted from having to obey the laws of the land and observe common standards of ethics. Lama Zopa doesn’t spell it out but the assumption is that he is also enlightened and therefore he knows better about Dagri than anyone else. In Lama Zopa’s world so long as one declares himself to be an enlightened being, he is above the law. In what is no longer a surprise, Lama Zopa then brought in the Dorje Shugden issue with his own version of Tibetan Buddhist history. Over the past weeks as news of Dagri’s sexual exploits became public, FPMT personnel have attempted to blame Dorje Shugden for the mess the FPMT has dug itself into, but many people saw through the ruse. But right here, we see how mundane a trick Lama Zopa has had to resort to, attempting such a cheap sleight of hand more expected of suburban circus acts than of a supposed high lama, which is to distract attention away from Dagri’s crimes and the FPMT’s complicity by reigniting an old debate about the Dalai Lama’s Dorje Shugden controversy. It would have been easy enough for Lama Zopa to instruct for an independent investigation to be commissioned. That would have shown good faith and integrity. But instead, Lama Zopa launches into a malformation of facts and issues that basically says that Dagri’s victims have no rights because Dagri is a Buddha and can do as he pleases and Lama Zopa another Buddha endorses his crimes. In Lama Zopa’s world, there is no need to obey laws. When in trouble, blame a deity. Interestingly Lama Zopa fails to explain how a ‘common ghost’ that Dorje Shugden is supposed to be, managed to get Dagri supposedly a Buddha to commit depraved sexual acts on victims, none of whom have any connection with Dorje Shugden. Both Lama Zopa and the FPMT have now had weeks to take proper remedial actions regarding the Dagri scandal. But with this second statement, it is clear the truth is not going to see the light of day if the FPMT and Lama Zopa can help it. And yet they say Dorje Shugden is destroying the dharma.

Dagri Rinpoche is charged!

The State of Himachal Pradesh will be prosecuting Dagri Rinpoche (Dhagri Rinpoche Thuptein Jungchup). They have named him as a defendant, charging him under Indian Penal Code Section 354A for Sexual Harassment and Punishment for Sexual Harassment. The offences are listed as follows:

Sexual harassment of the nature of unwelcome physical contact and advances or a demand or request for sexual favours or showing pornography which is punishable with rigorous imprisonment for a term which may extend to three years, or with fine, or with both.

Sexual harassment of the nature of making sexually coloured remark which is punishable by imprisonment for a term which may extend to one year, or with fine, or with both.

The first hearing was on 23 May and the next hearing is scheduled for 12 June. The case details can be viewed by the public via India’s ecourt services (https://services.ecourts.gov.in/ecourtindia_v6/) by searching for the case or CNR number (HPKA120015502019).

Dagri Rinpoche’s criminal case details can be accessed by the public via India’s ecourt services. Click to enlarge.

On social media, news that Dagri Rinpoche is being charged with sexual offences has been met with positive response. FPMT should take heed that strong, decisive action against sexual offenders is always well-received by the public, and covering up (as they are doing now) is not only deeply unpopular but morally and ethically wrong. Click to enlarge.

Details regarding Dagri Rinpoche’s charge. He is being charged under Indian Penal Code Section 354A for Sexual Harassment and Punishment for Sexual Harassment.

Update on Dagri’s Case

Dagri Rinpoche’s matter is up for hearing on 12th June 2019 (tuesday). This is following the Indian Police laying formal charges on Dagri under the Indian Penal Code 354A. It was learned that Dagri’s lawyers sought leave of the court to conduct the hearing ‘in camera’ meaning to say that the hearing would not be open to the public. Obviously Dagri and the FPMT are trying to minimize publicity surrounding the case and hearing.Dagri’s case has been classified a high profile case due to his connection to the Office of the Dalai Lama and Indian news media are keeping a close watch on proceedings.

Dagri Rinpoche stalls court hearing, case adjourned

Dagri Rinpoche’s case was heard in court today (12th June 2019). The hearing, which was scheduled for 10am (North Indian time), was delayed until later in the day. Dagri Rinpoche has been charged by the Indian Police under the Indian Penal Code 354A for Sexual Harassment and Punishment for Sexual Harassment after he was arrested on 3rd May 2019 for molesting a woman on board an Air India flight from Delhi. The delay in the court hearing was due to Dagri’s transparent attempts to stall.Amongst other spurious reasons, Dagri insisted that he should have his own Hindi translator, stating that it was necessary for him to defend himself adequately.

Dagri Rinpoche’s next hearing is scheduled for 18th July 2019, over one month away. That should give him enough time to prepare for such a serious hearing.

Evidently, that was a ploy to delay the proceedings as Dagri is well-known to be fluent in Hindi, having lived in India for decades. Dagri could also have prepared for the case beforehand, either informing the court ahead of time or bringing his own translator. After all, it is not like the hearing was scheduled at the last minute, with no time for him to prepare beforehand. The fact Dagri did not take the court seriously and adequately prepare for his hearing by bringing his own translator, was nothing more than a boldfaced attempt at manipulating the Indian courts. Dagri Rinpoche clearly disrespects the Indian justice system, alongside his total lack of respect for women’s rights. His are not the actions of someone who would be able to prove their innocence in court, where he would be able to get the charges against him dismissed. At the end of the day’s shenanigans, Dagri Rinpoche’s case had to be adjourned, with the next hearing scheduled for 18th July 2019. Over one month away, that should give Dagri enough time to prepare his own translator. Dagri Rinpoche has tried very hard to keep the public out of his court hearing, presumably to keep the media away from reporting more news of his crime but it has failed. There are many interested parties, from women’s equality groups to monastic communities and Tibetans-in-exile around the world. Everyone is now watching Dagri Rinpoche’s case to see that justice is served.

Mila Rangzen released his video on Dagri case

Well-known Tibetan activist and commentator Mila Rangzen, who is based in New York City, USA recently published this video updating Tibetans on the latest news related to Dagri Rinpoche’s court hearing. It is a strong indication that Tibetans remain very interested in the case and will continue to observe its proceedings, outcome and FPMT’s reaction. FPMT should have monitored Dagri Rinpoche when they first learned about it over a decade ago, and they should have immediately stopped promoting him once allegatons of sexual abuse came to light. If they were the responsible organization that they pretend to be, they would have distanced themselves and disassociated from him, and advised their students not to go for teachings with him or create a connection with him. Instead, FPMT did none of that, thereby exposing potentially hundreds of womento this sexual predator. The truth is that FPMT harbored and promoted a sexual predator for over a decade and now everybody knows.

Dagri Victim Jakaira’s exclusive exposé to Tibet Star

Recently, Tibetan alternative news media contacted Jakaira Perez Valdivia, the sexual assault victim of Dagri Rinpoche and in a tell-all letter, she exposes the emotional difficulties that she has suffered as a result from her standing up to the sexual abuse from Dagri Rinpoche. Jakaira, who signed off as Jaki, gives an emotional account of how she lost everything, with all her years spent studying to be proficient in the Tibetan language wasted when she got blacklisted by the FPMT, thus losing her career as a translator. She also lost her position in the nunnery, her teachers, friends and worst, her self-esteem. The letter also repeats her earlier accounts of her knowing of other sexual assault victims and that the FPMT has been continuosly covering up for Dagri Rinpoche.

Transcript of Jakaira’s letter

Dear Tibet Star, As I mention in the video description, I didn’t enable the comments because I am tired of hearing people defending him all these years and I’m just not putting up with this nonsense anymore, I have already gone through all this before and it wasn’t easy. I don’t have the physical time or the emotional space and energy to deal with people who want to shame me again and again. There’s enough harm already and exposing myself like this was already a very big step. I need to protect my emotional stability and carry on with my own life, this issue is very absorbing, for the first three weeks after the news, I didn’t even have the time to do normal tasks of my daily life. I need lots of energy at my work, I need to concentrate, even kind comments stir up my emotions a lot. You must understand that that person ruined my life. Because of the slander I lost everything, I couldn’t work as a translator in the FPMT centers after all those years of studying Tibetan. I could not stay in the nunnery, my abbess didn’t support me, and betrayed me by presenting her apologies to him, like if I was an embarrassment. I didn’t have much money and I finally had to give back my vows to get a normal job in the west, also, because I couldn’t see myself anymore as a representative of a system that had failed me. I lost friends, teachers, and many of the best years of my life. I became an outcast, my self-esteem was destroyed and I’m still a bit damaged. Even though I’ve rebuilt my life from scratch, it wasn’t easy. I’m lucky to have a new life now, but most victims are still too traumatized to speak up. From the other two victims I know of, one has completely shut down and disappeared, and the other one has been working on cancelling his teachings here and there (Australia and New Zealand) for years, but not publicly. I guess they saw what happened to me at the time and couldn’t handle it. I know a total of 6 concrete victims, 5 of which I know personally, but the trauma is too deep, they won’t expose themselves like I’ve done. That is why the nuns from the petition have requested a private investigation, so that victims can speak up anonymously and have their identity protected. I guess my friend Adelaide has a similar feeling, she was the only nun at IBD with 30 monks in her class for almost 13 years. She was going to be the second geshema after Kelsang Wangmo, but she had to quit. She was abused multiple times by monks, almost raped once, good she knew martial arts. Yours, Jaki

In an update posted on Change.org’s petition Call for investigation into allegations of sexual misconduct by Dagri Rinpoche, a second letter was sent to FMPT’s CEO Ven. Roger Kunsang and the FPMT board calling the FPMT to open an impartial investigation of sexual abuse by Dagri Rinpoche in FPMT centers.

Click to enlarge

The senior nuns who started the petition wrote in the update that they “have heard of other women with stories to report, so it is clear that there is a need for third-party professional persons who are experienced in such procedures, and with whom these women can share their experiences anonymously.” The letter to the FPMT’s CEO and board was ended with them saying, “the Buddhist sangha is entrusted by the Buddha to safeguard the Dharma, and we would be remiss in our duty if we did not continue to call on the FPMT board to take immediate steps to protect the Dharma, restore people’s trust in Tibetan Buddhism, and behave with the compassion and ethical integritythat the world expects of the Buddhadharma. Nothing short of an independent investigation will be sufficient to do that at this point.” The petition has nearly 3,000 signatures, but since the FPMT’s second update on Dagri Rinpoche on 24th May, there is no news or action announced by the FPMT on what they will do to protect the safety and dignity of women.

Dagri stalls court proceedings again today by asking for another adjournment

Dagri Rinpoche appeared in the Kangra Court No. 2 again today (18th July 2019) supposedly to defend himself against Indian Police’s charges for Sexual Harassment and Punishment for Sexual Harassment (Indian Penal Code 354A).

Click to enlarge

This case was first listed to be heard on 12th June 2019 and then again on 18th July 2019 after Dagri feigned not to understand Hindi and English and begged to have a translator. Clearly that was just a ruse because for years the FPMT has facilitated Dagri’s travels to FPMT centres worldwide to teach in English. He is also well known in Dharamsala to be able to converse in Hindi. Today, Dagri’s court hearing was stalled again when it became a problem that the Prosecutor did not bring along a translator. The case was made that both parties – Dagri’s side and the Prosecutor’s side – should each have a translator to avoid any mistranslation. Why this was not raised previously is dubious. In any case, Dagri’s lawyer Mr Neraj Mehra was instructed to agree to the postponement. The next hearing is now set for 26th August 2019. This itself shows that Dagri is not confident of his own innocence.More information will be posted here in due course so stay tuned.

Inside sources within FPMT have revealed that the FPMT board at their recent Board meeting had resolved in favor of conducting independent third party investigations into Dagri Rinpoche’s sexual abuse allegations. Insiders also say that FPMT’s CEO Ven. Roger Kunsang defied the FPMT’s Board resolution and approached Lama Zopa, who is the organization’s spiritual head, for a mo(dice) divination.

Click to enlarge

Lama Zopa’s mo divination showed that the third party investigation would be “VERY BAD” for FPMT and because of it, the FPMT CEO defied the Board’s decision and vetoed the investigation. What it really means by Lama Zopa’s mo divination is that Dagri Rinpoche IS guilty of sexual harassment which the third party investigation would reveal and confirm, and that is why the investigation would be very bad for FPMT. As a leading Buddhist organization with centers around the world, FPMT has a moral responsibility to keep the public and their members safe and therefore FPMT should not continue to cover up cases of sexual harassment and protect FPMT teachers who abuse their positions. FPMT CEO and Lama Zopa’s decision to withhold a third party investigation is a decision that will allow FPMT teachers who are sex predators to continue, putting FPMT’s female members and the public in danger of more sexual harassment.

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many yr back when they r do some torkya against shukden he was main person lopbuen this r tell to me by some trapa

(many yr back when they r do some torkya (ritual puja of burning in fire) against shukden he was main person lopbuen (ritual master) this r tell to me by some trapa (monk))

++++++++++++

This Tibetan is saying many years back when the monastery did a wrathful burning puja (torkya) agains Dorje Shugden to destroy him, the main ritual master to lead this was Dragri Rinpoche. A monk told this person this.

Last time when they did large puja against Shugden in Sera Jey Monastery to destroy Shugden, Dragri Rinpoche is the main ritual master to do this puja. He wants to look good and wants name and fame. Now his karma come back for trying to destroy the Shugden practice of millions of people and his guru. He is too political. Dragri Rinpoche previous life is big practitioner of Shugden and give Shugden initiation and this life he give up. Too bad he is not loyal.

There are people around the world who have caught wind of this news and asking why centres are continuing to invite this sexual assaulter to their events. No woman would go and lodge a POLICE REPORT about sexual assault for no reason. The Tibetan leadership had better remember that everyone is watching what they are going to do next. Will they protect the abuser which they have done so many times in the past, or will they do something TANGIBLE to help the victim?

This is truly a shame, after when someone taken refuge to the Triple gems, they would already know what they can do and what cannot do, more over he is a Rinpoche, the person who goes around the world to give Dharma teaching, so many people are looking up onto him as he is the one who give advice to his students, to help his students to overcome difficulties, to make the students to change to be better, but then at the other hand, the spiritual teacher is breaking the vow. This could be the worse nightmare to the spiritual practitioners, because they are learning from their master but unfortunately their master are not practicing what they teach.

Buddha has said that Dharma will died, but Dharma died not because of the non Dharma practitioners, in fact, it is the people inside the Dharma who destroyed it with their mis-behavior.

Dagri Rinpoche is one of the best example, when outside people saw the spiritual master is doing these crimes, then how do we expect whatever we learned from him is correct? and how more do we expect the outsiders will want to come to practice Dharma?

I felt pity to Dagri Rinpoche, because his action does not just caused negative karma from molesting a girl, but it was the effect of people does not want to pursue their spiritual path, imagine how much negative karma he he needs to absorb for causing others to stop their practice.

There are people around the world who have caught wind of this news and are asking why centres are continuing to invite this sexual assaulter to their events. No woman would go and lodge a POLICE REPORT about sexual assault for no reason. The Tibetan leadership had better remember that everyone is watching what they are going to do next. Will they protect the abuser which they have done so many times in the past, or will they do something TANGIBLE to help the victim?

Unfortunately, there is a high likelihood Dagri will escape punishment. You must remember that he has the Dalai Lama’s favor like Sogyal and the rest and the Dalai Lama is extremely influential in India.

Frankly I am surprised the Indian police arrested him at all. I don’t think he expected that and I think he probably thought that they would just let him walk because of his association with the Tibetan leaders. Remember this is not his first offence and previous reports by Jaki (the courageous Spanish ex-nun) amounted to nothing.

How did Dagri end up like this?

He was sponsored by Lama Yeshe whose protector was Dorje Shugden and to repay a Shugden lama’s kindness, he performs rituals with the intention of destroying Lama Yeshe’s Dharma Protector. Not very good karma from that and hence this is just the tip of the iceberg for him.

In India, women don’t go to the police for ‘small’ matters because it is very problematic. You have to spend a lot of time trying to convince the police that you are telling the truth. Especially for cases of sexual assault, their first instinct is to blame the victim. So for this lady to approach the police, AND for the police to take her report seriously means they found truth to the allegations. Dagri Rinpoche and all lamas who violate their students’ trust in them are an embarrassment to our community and faith.

Agree with Tsering. Especially in Asian countries, to lodge a report or to go to the press to tell you are molested by a man actually will invite lots of criticism and doubts from public. You have to prepare to be attacked and blamed by the public. You might even viewed as someone who is loose and not a good woman.

The Indian police did not brush off the report just like that, but go into the hassle to investigate and must find something subtantial before they get him for further investigation.

It’s something to be careful for Indian police as well to get someone who works in His Holiness’s office to investigate for an accusation as such, media and public would question the police’s action as well, if it was done without much investigation or without basis. If not, the police is actually inviting protest and criticism.

Indian women will not simply report sex crimes unless it is real as it brings much shame to herself, her family and her village. Unless it is real and can be proven, they suffer in silence. So I believe this has happened or the woman would not have reported. The police take it seriously because the woman has convinced them or usually the police will not pay heed.

Another sexual harassment by a Rinpoche that has close relationship with Dalai Lama. Such a learned Geshe and some more working from the Dalai Lama office being detained for such accused. Wonder whatever teaching, initiation or blessing that Dagri Rinpoche carried out to the people is effective?

What will Dalai Lama do since Dagri Rinpoche who works in the Tibetan government’s office and with the Dalai Lama? Or Dalai Lama will just keep quite and let the issue die off?

Why Dorje Shugden practice which didn’t harm anyone but being ban so hard by Dalai Lama and CTA . People like Dagri Rinpoche which harming people physical and mentally can in silent. Really waiting to see what is next from Dalai Lama office.

Oh no…another sex scandals? How many people that are working closely with the Dalai Lama have the same allegations and have not been found out? I heard from a friend that this is not the first time he was charged with the same allegation but the last time it was covered because of who he is and the role he has in the Dalai Lama’s secretariat office.

Why does the Dalai Lama always keep quiet about harmful actions like this? Why did he allow such misbehaviour? How can the Buddha dharma be preserved and disseminated with a tainted vessel like this? He has broken one of the core monk vows and should be dispelled immediately without questions!

It is ridiculous that he tried to get into the lady’s skirt on a plane! What on earth was he thinking! He must be charged and return his vows before he further destroy the name of the Three Jewels and the Dalai Lama!

I do not go to FPMT centres regularly, but I did go for an initiation by Dragri Rinpoche in one of their centres in Europe in the past. Now I am worried. He is a sexual offender and I lost faith in him. What will FPMT do about this now? Shall I report to police in my country?

I never heard Dorje Shugden lamas involved in this kind of scandals, but it seems to be quite common at the anti-Shugden side. I guess if you are not a loyal person, if you could betray your guru and lineage, it must have meant that you will not be loyal to your vows and practice already. That’s why those gave up on Dorje Shugden side always involved in different type of scandals. They can’t even hold the very basic vows.

Dalai Lama said those who practice Shugden shouldn’t meet him because there is broken samaya. I wonder the people surrounding the Dalai Lama are sex abusers, why don’t they break samaya with him and he still see them and hang around with him? Or sexually abusing others is not against the vows or teachings? It cannot be. So it must be double standard then 😱😱

It seems like a trend that those people that created such scandals mostly are people close to Dalai Lama. You can say it’s coincident but we can see these people are taking advantage of their relationship with Dalai Lama.

I read that “when questioned, Dagri Rinpoche gave his address as the Dalai Lama’s Office. It was a blatant attempt to absolve himself, and to intimidate the Indian police that they should not pursue the matter any further because he is associated with the Dalai Lama.” Isn’t that obvious?

Now a lot of people want to know what would Dalai Lama do or say? or just keep silent just like before?

Everyone in the Tibetan communities according to my Tibetan friends in Dharamsala said that Dagri Rinpoche has man-handled women before on many occasions. It’s just that it is a shameful thing and many do not want to confront him directly. Since Dagri works ‘close’ to the Dalai Lama, people do not want to say anything to offend the Dalai Lama and hence Dagri has been getting away with it for years.

All this news about Dagri molesting a woman on the airplane has spread to the mainstream Indian press. Too bad. Shameful for Tibetans, Tibetan leadership and Buddhism. Shameful for Sera Jey Monastery where Dagri comes from.

My friends all say without a doubt harming women is a huge sin and bigger sin than practicing Dorje Shugden (assuming practicing Shugden is bad at all). So these women abusers will go to the three lower realms and break their religious samaya (commitments) with you Your Holiness. So how come they are allowed in your teachings and in your environment? How come you don’t speak out against them publicly and ban them from mainstream Tibetans as you do with Tibetans who practice Dorje Shugden?

In this world, there are many who use their power to abuse others, as we see many times happened to religious personnels, who happened to be in all religious institutions.

This abuse is very damaging, to the victims, to the people who took them as teacher, etc. However, the bigger issue here is, why is the institutions who actively promotes them stay silent and quiet?! Why is HH Dalai Lama, HHDL’s office, Sera Monastery, FPMT all stay quiet and said nothing? What are they up to now?

I have just watched this video: http://video.dorjeshugden.com/videos/DagriRinpocheJaki.mp4 and this lady made a statutory declaration of how Dagri Rinpoche molested her, and that was 10 year ago!! 10 years!! For 10 years, Dalai Lama office and FPMT has covered up the case for more than 10 years!! Not only they knew about the case, had a meeting, but FPMT lied about the content of the meeting!! (If there is nothing to hide, why not let the women record the audio? If they had left this women recorded the audio, then there is nothing to dispute, correct?!).

Shame on you FPMT!! Shame on you Dalai Lama’s Office!!

FPMT must come out and explain, not just what happened to this incident, but also explain all the cases against Dagri Rinpoche since 10/15 year ago. If nothing is being explained by Dalai Lama office and FPMT, does it mean they condone to such actions?!

Oh my gawd. Dagri Rinpoche is a monster molester! He should be stripped from all his title and his privileges and actually give his vows back since he has broken them. Ms Jaki is really courageous to make a video and speak out for all the women who have been sexually abused by Dagri.

How can the Dalai Lama allow this? Why is it those who are close to the Dalai Lama and appears to be all goody are in fact monsters in disguise. It really makes me think deeper as to what kind of leadership is CTA. One that maintains, promotes and nurtures sexual predators? And FPMT – huge SHAME on you for promoting this Rinpoche and allowing your nuns and people to be exposed and sexually abused by such a monster. Disgusting! You guys should be sued because you knew what kind of monster he is, yet you cover up, told the victims to be quiet and hush up. This karma is really on you then, because you are just as guilty for promoting him. And you keep inviting him to teach?!😱😱😅

I hope Ms Jaki video will encourage more women and nuns who have been sexually abused to come up and speak up and not let this sexual abuser get away with his crimes!

Another Rinpoche who uses his association with the Dalai Lama to discover himself without impunity??? Why is the Dalai Lama allowing them to get away with these assaults? The Dalai Lama has declared that he is able to live beyond 100 years old but I suspect that these Rinpoches and his other students that practice double standards are not making it possible. Such a shame!

I really do hope that other women who had been molested take courage to speak up to clear their guilt which I am sure will continue to weigh on them. Creating sufferings when Dagri Rinpoche should be given them solution out of sufferings.

Frankly, I am not surprised. Lamas who are able to break their Guru samaya to be on the side of popularity in the issue of the illogical ban on authentic Dorje Shugden’s practice, what are molestations to them? Breaking samaya with one’s Guru is the greatest wrongs according to the Tibetan Buddhist tenet and it could send us to the Vajra Hells. I guess they must have thought that since they are going to hell anyway, might as well make it worth it???

Another stack development that I read from this situation is that Dharamsala and the Tibetan Buddhist monks in India are losing their unconditional support from the Indian government. The police dare to make public this case shows that they are not going to sweep this issue under the carpet and that they will not give face to Dharamsala anymore. India is definitely working to be in good relationship with China. After all, it is simply no contest as to who can provide better living conditions to the millions of Indian in terms of trade and protection.

Dharamsala must be seen taking actions against all these wayward monks who took advantages of their position and trusts given to them for wrongful actions. After the hard work of the Dalai Lama in propagating Dharma to the world, these monks are destroying it.

Wow! So it is not the first time that Dagri Rinpoche has been accused of molestation. Look at the video by Jakaira Perez and her four pages of the affidavit to the police. She also claims that there are many more like her. Even young monks are not free from his clutches. Wow!

What irks me is that those in authority knew of his activities but chose to overlook it!! Why? Is it cos he is an active teaching lama and has been bringing in the money? What teachings or practises are he giving? With broken MAJOR vow of NO-SEXUAL MISCONDUCT, what kind of lineage is he transmitting? A hypocrite who doesn’t even heed his own teacher and the Dharma he received? Hmmm, does that imply that he is doing what he had learned and that it is okay to molest women and boys who are at the mercy of your status? That is really scary thoughts.

I do feel for Jakaira and how she must have felt about the abuse, the confusion and the doubts. How she must have felt without the support from the Tibetan Leaders in reprimanding Dagri Rinpoche who instead turned around to say she apologised to him. Even now, people like this Fabrizio guy supports without even examining the facts. Obviously, he supports that sexual misconduct is okay and abuse of innocents is okay. It is he who is closed minded by his friendship with the molester. No wonder the perpetrator usually gets away with his crimes since he has friends who blindly trust him. So easy to hoodwink.

The actions of Dagri Rinpoche, does not reflect a scholar who has received the Geshe Lharampa. Where does it say in any of the vows that a monk can touch and molest women in a sexual manner?

Such actions is very damaging to the dharma and Gelug lineage. I am very sure FPMT, will now try to cover their tracks again, remember FPMT used to practice Dorje Shugden but since the Dalai Lama started the ban on Dorje Shugden, how will they disassociate with this teacher who was clearly was promoted by FPMT?

Or will FPMT will ignore all this news about this Rinpoche and allow him to teach at FPMT centers. FPMT sometimes behave almost like some of these theistic institutions, if you believe our buddha or our god, you have salvation, if you believe and practice Dorje Shugden you will go to hell. Well it isn’t Dorje Shugden that can send us to hell, it is our karma why FPMT does not see that I don’t know to be honest.

oh no, he is one of the touring Lamas for FPMT indonesia. shame on him represent the Buddhism….. please don’t come again in FPMT Indonesia again , I might lost faith in FPMT due to the such Rinpoche represent FPMT. Lama Zopa please explain it instead of keep silence

I am sorry to say. After reading this article, I feel disgusted with Dagri Rinpoche. How come FPMT promotes a sexual offender like that and even try to hush things up when this Dagri person is hurting other people. I could hear from the Spanish lady’s voice that she was really hurt and traumatized by the event. I cannot believe that Lama Zopa is keeping quiet about the matter. Well, FPMT has definitely invested in the wrong person.

What disgusts me the most is the institutional cover-up by our management. Despite being aware that he is a sexual predator, they allowed him to systematically abuse women for 10 more years when they possessed the means to stop him in his tracks. Send him back to India, stop inviting him to our centres. Ven Roger and the rest of our Board should have stepped up and done something. Why are they telling all of us to pray for the benefit of all sentient beings when for a long time, they let a sentient being like Jakaira feel so vulnerable and alone? Our Board is fully responsible for allowing this abuse to continue, the karma is on them.

As a Buddhist, I am appalled that such a reputable Buddhist organization like FPMT would allow such a sex-crazed lama to go on abusing women like that. How can they call themselves Buddhist??! The damage is done and the consequence is enormous for FPMT, for as far as I can recall, had been very vocal in promoting the segregation of Dorje Shugden and there is nothing compassionate or even Buddhist about that, just like how they allow Dagri Rinpoche to go on abusing woman and get away with it.

This is very disappointing and a great blow to the Buddhist community. i feel angry, saddened and if I am not firm in my faith in my lama and 3 Jewels, I would be disheartened by this. I hope FPMT and the Dalai Lama’s office do something to put an end to Dagri Rinpoche teaching. He should be sent to do a long term retreat and not be allowed to teach and free to abuse other women. It’s enough already! FPMT and the Dalai Lama’s office should do what is right and necessary. Avoidance does not get rid of the problem.

Looks like pro-Dalai Lama people are NO angels. Dagri Rinpoche has been violating women years and FPMT hasn’t done anything? Obviously, there is a coverup here. Harbouring criminals is never right. Covering up for a criminal makes FPMT criminal too.

Am beyond disgusted. A man in robes violating a nun!

So, what is Dalai Lama and FPMT going to do about this? You guys accuse Dorje Shugden people of destroying Buddhism but look who are covering up for serial sex criminals.

And CTA, instead of focusing on non-issues like Shugden, use your resources to protect your people from sex criminals like Dagri Rinpoche and Sogyal Rinpoche.

In any given case, any incident of sexual abuse is bad enough and any subsequent cover up is nothing short of deplorable.

However, it is worse when such crimes are committed by the sangha with vows and who represent one aspect of the Three Jewels. And the harm is further magnified when such sangha in question is highly regarded and trusted by many.

With this incident, one can just imagine the inexcusable damage done, from the devastation of the victims, the betrayal of trust and possible loss of faith of those with connection with such as students, sponsors to the distortion of the public’s view of the sangha and Buddhism.

However, it is even more appalling when unscrupulous characters who claim to be Buddhists seek to deflect or downplay such explosive allegations of sexual misconduct by putting the blame on other Buddhist practitioners.

This article really shows the depths to which people hide behind and abuse their power. This is nothing new of the Tibetan government, this website has shown their corruption before, but this is really something else! I can’t actually believe that FPMT of all people, of all organisations are involved in keeping things like this quiet and covered up.

I’ve heard members of the FPMT slander and damn Dorje Shugden practitioners to hell for their beliefs. But you tell me, out of the two, Dorje Shugden people who are just trying to practice their religion, and serial molesters and those who cover them up in the guise of religion, who are the ones who are going to hell? Who are the ones that are actually not practising what Gautama Buddha taught? You tell me. It’s quite clear. Om Shanti.

CTA was so eager to protect HHDL against the perceived and unproven threats of harm to Dalai Lama by Dorje Shugden practitioners, to the point that CTA even (mis)used governmental power to intervene.

Why is there no action from CTA to eliminate or at the very least deal with the actual harm caused by such deviant monks to HHDL? After all, many are strongly questioning and condemning HHDL due to their closeness with HHDL and also the inaction by HHDL seemingly endorsing them.

CTA should take action starting with those where CTA has direct power over such as Dagri Rinpoche. As rightly pointed out by the article, Dagri Rinpoche who works in the Tibetan government’s office and with the Dalai Lama, should be ousted from his position and receive some sort of repercussion or punishment due in accordance with the law. In addition, for someone who actually works in the Tibetan government and represents the Dalai Lama, when he commits crimes like this, what kind of example does it set if he is exonerated? Instead of teaching Tibetans to obey the law, people like Dagri Rinpoche show that with power and position, you can behave however you like with no repercussions.

That is, of course on the assumption that CTA is really about protecting HHDL.

CTA only takes action when it benefits CTA to do so. CTA throws Dorje Shugden under the bus so as to distract people from the fact that CTA failed to do anything for Tibetans. CTA has a lot to gain from such deviant monks and hence CTA protects them by conveniently omitting to do anything and even reportedly downplays such issues.

I was hoping this is not real when I first saw this report about Dagri Rinpoche, but now with the Jaki lady’s video, it’s confirmed. Sigh, so sad to see thisl However the saddest part is how Lama Zopa trying to cover the incidence. He is sacrificing people’s spiritual journey. very bad.

Wow! Look at the addendum. Proof of Dagri Rinpoche’s guilt!! Look at the police report that Jakaira Perez made. Good for her! I am disgusted by those who protect Dagri Rinpoche and even dared ask Jakaira to keep quiet. That person is just the same as the molester even if he did not do it. He is condoning the wrong actions of Dagri Rinpoche in not exposing him and demeaning Jakaira in asking her to keep quiet.

I really feel for Jakaira. Imagine a nun in her position, giving her trust to someone whom she thought could heal her pain from back hernia but instead, have to deal with molestation. The vulnerability that she must have felt, not knowing if he is genuine or just a fake. What more, being a nun who has to hold her vows which includes abstinence.

I don’t understand how can molestation of women be acceptable but not the practice of enlightened Dorje Shugden? Tibetan leaders are going on about how Dorje Shugden practitioners will go to hell but keeping quiet when their fellow Lamas harrass and attempted to entice and rape someone? Such dastardly act that destroys the women and their peace of mind. Look at Jakaira, she was a nun and was put in a position that she had to

What’s a shame! It is so unbelievable the Dagri Rinpoche openly molested a woman in a plane which a public place. He is a monk and some more is a Rinpoche, how can he do this to the woman? Does it because he thinks he has power and fame which can always cover up and escape? Jaki who is another victim posted a video tell her experience 10 years ago and she appeals all the victims, it is time for them to do something to expose Dagri Rinpoche’s ugly behaviour.

I’m as a Buddhist is so disappointed to know that FPMT and the Dalai Lama’s office have been hiding and covering for Dagri Rinpoche who has been molesting and harassing women for decades. The hiding and covering the truth has caused more victims and created so much of suffering. It is for sure many Dharma practitioners have loose faith because of this. The worst part is it is damaging the name of Buddhism.

Regardless of this Dagri Rinpoche is an ordained monk or lay person, he has done the illegal actions and breaking the law, he has to face the judgement. I must thanks to the woman who has the courage and brave to reported to the Police to stop Dagri Rinpoche to continue to created more harms and suffering to other women.

Now I am curious what Dalai Lama’s office and FPMT going to do and say to the public. Are they still defend Dagri Rinpoche? When compare what they have done to Dorje Shugden practitioners, this is so unfair.

The video by this lady, Jaki, looks real, not something made up to frame anyone or institite. Come on, who want to pretend as a victim of molest and tell her story on Youtube to let the whole world know? Most importantly, she got the statutory declaration – the repercussion of telling lies one can be charged by the police/government.

Hence, it’s really bad for FPMT and the Dalai Lama office to ignore the sufferings and be the accomplice of the crimes by this Dagri Rinpoche. 😔What is worst is, FPMT continues to let the abuser to their dharma centre around the world to teach and abuse lay women and nuns. FPMT should come out and tell the truth instead of keeping silence, thinking public will forget about this case as times go by and they continue their life and miliking funds as usual all these years.

It is unbelievable for a monk to do these kinds of nasty things to women. Who knows that someone that works in His Holiness’s office had a history of molesting women for over a decade. His Holiness has a good reputation of being a monk that holds his vows purely and the people around him are assumed to have the same qualities.

Hence, Dagri Rinpoche is able to carry out his nasty deeds by abusing the trust of those women to His Holiness. According to a victim that spoke up against Dagri Rinpoche recently, she was molested by him 10 years ago in Dharamshala. From this we can conclude that Dagri Rinpoche has been performing these nasty deeds for over a decade. Who knows how many more victims are there.

It was said that instead of caring and protecting young western nuns, Dagri Rinpoche sexually abuses them instead and covering it using lies. Due to his actions, Dagri Rinpoche would have broken his vows which made him an unfit candidate to give transmit vows to another monk. Hence, all the monks that had received their vows from Dagri Rinpoche would be in a very difficult situation on their spiritual path. This is how damaging Dagri Rinpoche is.

Wait a minute, isn’t he the one who is very much part of the Dalai Lama and FPMT teaching and initiations circuit? I think he is supposed to come to my country very soon to teach and maybe give initiations.

Why have these two large institutions continued to allow this Rinpoche to go around teaching the Dharma and give initiations for so many years?

I did not know about all these things and now suddenly we see so many Dalai Lama sangha very clearly breaking their Vinanaya vows. Makes me very disgusted, more so regarding these institutions which are supposed to guard the sanctity of the Dharma.

I think heads must roll, many heads must roll, for the huge Sangha scandals unveiled recently. Else who would respect or believe them? In this day and age, you can’t play “pretend don’t know”!

Tibet Sun, a well known media portal among the Tibetans has published the truth about Dagri Rinpoche and his molestation of women.Women are coming out and reporting the truth now. Some members of FPMT whose spiritual head is Lama Zopa Rinpoche, are trying to deny, lie and cover for Dagri Rinpoche but it’s too late. He has been found out and the news of this is getting bigger. It has gone mainstream in the media in India.

Dagri Rinpoche works in the Dalai Lama’s office in Dharamsala, North India as well as teach for various FPMT centres around the world for decades at the instructions of Lama Zopa.Now FPMT will be highly embarrassed as it is alleged Lama Zopa knew about this and covered it up along with his close students for a decade now.

It has been a few days by now after Dagri Rinpoche was arrested, and till today, there is no single explanation by FPMT about the action of Dagri Rinpoche, but they always acted very promptly to call DS practitioners traitors as they do not give up DS practice.

If doesn’t follow Dalai Lama’s advice means traitor, then what about the action of Dagri Rinpoche? Is he not a traitor since he has molested so many women? Im sure Dalai Lama will never approve him to do such thing.

While reading the statutory declaration, seriously, I couldn’t imagine how traumatized Ms Jaki could have felt, in using the name of blessing, he has done such horrible action towards her, not yet to mention about those who doesn’t dare to speak up yet, how many women he could have hurt? How many people has attended his teaching and gotten initiation and practices from him, since he has already broken samaya with his negative actions, how can the students continue to do the practice given by him?

I have been observing since many years ago, honestly I don’t see or read news about DS practitioners committing in negative actions, even when they held protest outside Dalai Lama’s teaching hall, it has never been any violent protest after all, but from the so called ‘Dalai Lama supporters’, how much they have done to hurt others, physically and emotionally. And now, this latest news about Dagri Rinpoche, Someone who suppose to be a reincarnation of Pari (Dagri) Dorje Chang, one of the very great geshes of Lhasa who was the teacher of many lamas, including Lama Yeshe. (as written in FPMT page), it is really a shame for him to do such thing, many people especially to the people he has hurt/molested and their family members could have lost their faith in Dharma forever..

Since FPMT is keeping quiet, does this means they allowed this to happen? or they knew about this all along and now speechless when it was published? I think FPMT has no other option but to come out to explain..

FPMT should be ashamed of themselves. How can they keep quiet on the nasty deeds of Dagri Rinpoche for decades? Why they do not protect their own nuns and members by exposing him when they found out in the first place? Why are they supporting something so nasty to go on especially when the welfare of their own nuns and students at stake?

Do they actually cared for their own people or all they care about is how FPMT’s reputation and face in front of His Holiness the Dalai Lama? Just like the Dorje Shugden issue, they can defy their own founder, Lama Yeshe’s instruction on the protector practice just to be seen on the Dalai Lama’s side. Similarly, they treasure their “friendship” with Dagri Rinpoche and sacrifice their own nuns and members just to not ruin their relationship with him.

As a Dharma centre, FPMT failed to protect their Guru and their people and they trade them with fame and popularity. Fortunately, Dagri Rinpoche has been arrested and soon be persecuted for his actions. I hope the same will happen to Sogyal who did even worst deeds.

This is so damaging. Imagine people who have faith in him, taken refuge with him or any initiation from him, is it still valid or effective? Aren’t this create huge damage for their trust and definitely shaken their faith in Buddhism. Aren’t Dalai Lama suppose to say something here?

How about FPMT? Apparently, this is not the first time incident and has been reported before. Why FPMT covering such issue and still allow this Rinpoche travel and meet people? Why there is no damage control in such a situation?

More media are picking up the news and now Dagri Rinpoche has his own me too campaign. I am sure sooner or later, more women will stand up and speak the truth against him. He has been doing his nasty deeds for decades and the Tibetan government and FPMT have been keeping quiet about it. They tried to dismiss the complaints and pretend that never happened.

For FPMT it is obvious that they are afraid that they will lose connection with his “big” lama that is well connected to His Holiness the Dalai Lama. They are willing to sacrifice their own nuns and members just to maintain their link to His Holiness. It seems like fame and power are much more important to them than their own nuns and members.

People are not stupid now and Dagri Rinpoche will have to face the consequences of his own actions. Sogyal is lucky that he is able to get away but karma will catch up with him later. It seems like after FPMT gave up Dorje Shugden practice, everything that Lama Yeshe built up with his hard work crumbles into the ground.

and thought that it might be useful for the discussion happening here.

Quote:

53.
I don’t accept, from In This World, says:
on 11 May 2019 at 5:41 am

I think the FPMT bashing some display here is not right either. There is a lot of good within the FPMT, a lot inspirational and good work too. However, what is lacking, it seems, is an open approach to the abuse of power, sexual abuse and more critical thinking instead of blind devotion, a lot of projections and the downplaying or denial of the harm which sexual abuse causes.

FPMT is known for basically attracting devotional type of people. This makes it a bit hard to find rational, critical intellectuals. But this all should not lead to condemn a rather healthy and good organisation.
I am not sure if the FPMT is capable of dealing with the whole in a good way. But let’s give them a chance too.

The Tibetan monasteries seem to lack sex education (which includes teachings on boundaries, what abuse is etc.) and a system where abuse can be safely reported and people who speak about abuse or experienced it are not shunned or silenced or blacklisted or criticised.

A lot to be done for sure. But usually, you don’t achieve changes by condemning others or trashing all into the rubbish. People won’t listen to you and nothing changes. You only feel some superficial satisfaction from such condemnations.

Survivors of abuse, however, they should unite, reach out to each other and build a supportive networks. Then you become more powerful than the perpetrators and the organisations who cover them up. A good example – who explicitly followed the Dalai Lama’s advice – are the 8 who wrote the letter on abuse in Rigpa. Another good example is Buddhist Project Sunshine. You can learn from such what works and reaps results. Only complaining, condemning, trashing people and organisations won’t work! People who know survivors of abuse should openly ask them what they need.

52.
Chonyi Taylor, from Australia, says:
on 11 May 2019 at 3:37 am

This s not true. FPMT does have a complaints mechanism. I helped draft it.

51.
Kelsang says:
on 11 May 2019 at 2:18 am

A priest having intercourse with a woman in a tantric manner is called ‘karmamudra’. Mudra is something like a sex partner. Karma is activity. Karmamudra is as important as mahamudra in kagyu sect in the mind of many advanced practitioners of Tibetan lamaism. In other words, sex between celebate monk and woman is as common as indian policemen taking bribe in the classical Tibet. The women were willing accomplices, and many felt blessed by the “holy male genital”.

But problems start to happen when civilizations clash. These clueless lamas are applying karmamudra practice to Western women who are thrice more independent in spirit. Cases like this will continue to happen until CTA organize a workshop for all the lamas in exile – irrespective of their sect or lineage – on sexual conduct and consent. This will go a long way in reducing cases of rape, extorsion, and sexual abuse by Tibetan Lamas.

50.
Sar Lang, from Usa, says:
on 10 May 2019 at 11:39 pm

Sexual misconduct has been an open secret from the advent of Buddhism in Tibet. What is sad is that the taboo breaker has to be a non-Tibetan women who blew off the cover.

All the culprits should renounce their celibacy vows and take refugee in their parents’ homes.

49.
Khampa Warrior, from USA, says:
on 10 May 2019 at 11:03 pm

This lama Dagri is long associated with Gaden Podhang and now he is a disgraced lama, so Gaden Podhang must fire him immediately and cut off all the relationship with this lama. So was the lama in Los Angeles Tenzin Dhonden and Kalden Lodoe at Radio Free Asia are disgrace to Gaden Podhang. Tenzin Dhonden’s associate cult leader Keith Raniere is presently indicted for racketeering conspiracy, extortion, forced labor and sex trafficking in a NY court. Kalden Lodoe illegally usurped Tibetan Service Director’s post by colluding with the chief of Radio Free Asia Libby Liu by firing and forcing out two of its former directors Ngapo Jigme and Tenzin Tethong. Kalden Lodoe does pay for play with Libby by his purported contacts with Gaden Podhang and squeezing every bit of benefits from Radio Free Asia thru Libby and vice versa. I heard around 70 percent of Tibetan staff at RFA signed a letter to reject Kalden Lodoe off hand but Libby illegally imposed him as director of Tibetan Service. So why doesn’t Gaden Podang cut off relationship with criminal minded Kalden and Libby who would definitely bring Gaden Podhang’s reputation down and ultimately His Holiness the Dalai Lama. Wouldn’t it be catastrophic disaster to Tibetans and millions of people around world?

48.
Kyagzar, from France, says:
on 10 May 2019 at 10:52 pm

This Yangsi Rinpoche of Maitripa college approved by FPMT has kids spread in Europe and North America. He wears attire which looks like a robe to fool vulnerable westerners and SE Asia donors. I hear he left his american wife as soon as she got sick. He is hiding his Tibetan wife and kid from public. Why play these dramas..Is this what FPMT is all about?

More about FPMT will come soon. FPMT support this molester and will continue to support every molester and fake monks.

47.
Tess Boze, from Portland Oregon, says:
on 10 May 2019 at 8:14 pm

You are far from FPMT geographically. I am not. Their world headquarters is 8 blocks from my home. From 2008 until 2016, I attended programs and classes at their advanced-degree secular college, Maitripa, here in Portland Oregon. Relative to most of the world, I saw *a lot* of FPMT and LZR this decade. They wreak.
I also was used unwittingly as I was not savvy that the teacher/co-founder of the college – a llarumpa geshe who dropped the robe and has a chapter in Lhundrup Sopa’s Biography, “Like a Waking Dream,” – was wearing one face to appear as a joyful and pure hearted teacher in intention, but expressed his grasping at true motive in private. He believed that once Emptiness was Realized, all Ethics were but fuel for his own rise to Power.

He spoke of power all the time, but never of relationship mundane to Ultimate power. He used the word power in every teaching, but never love, and rarely Bodhichitta. His motivation betrayed his intention. He was in service to such an organization.

His remaining teacher now sits on HHDL’s Gendun throne. All his other teachers, 2nd co-founder, and prior Tri Rinpoche died w/in 2 years. Ethics died, too. His consort of many years almost died of a dble aneurism, replaced immediately by a consort as FPMT brand approved, had been corrupted to hate and use “black” siddhi. LZP stayed in AU, rarely returning.

Tenzin, FPMT wreaks of a floral scented corpse. You can find evidence. FPMT public Dharma education series wanes, the colleges wax. Only two now exist – in Italy and down the street from me. Check Wikipedia edits for Maitripa. LZP is listed as sole founder, right after 2nd co-founder died at 47. FPMT re-writes history all the time. FPMT is a PR firm except in name.

46.
Dawa Tsering, from Arunachal, says:
on 10 May 2019 at 7:28 pm

Who becomes a monk these days? A poor, destitute and orphan. There are very few from well to do families who send their children to become a monk. In a way…making someone a monk against their will or out of poverty.. it is but absolute voilation of human rights as the poor child is subjected to molestation and sexual abuse by big lamas of tulku’s order. Simply discontinue the tradition of making monks (dapa) at a very young age. If someone wants to become a monk out of reverence and understanding…they are welcome.

45.
Ani Lozang, from Usa + Nepal, says:
on 11 May 2019 at 2:13 am

That is how Buddhism reformed in Taiwan during industrialization era under the label of humanistic Buddhism. Yes there are still many problems and occassional scandals etc but quality of monastics is very high and able to be more beneficial to society and lay devotees bc nearly all finished high school and college or some work experience before becoming monastics. So then after studying sutras and meditation training, they are more skilled in many other areas like running service projects, dharma programs, Buddhist colleges, temples for working lay people etc.

Another advantage they have are educated and fully ordained nuns, so ani gompa are all having ani abbess and government according to nuns vinaya. When girls and lay women and men see the ordained women very educated and capable, it is easier for them to feel confidence of dharma leadership.

For Tibetan Buddhism, HH Karmapa has expressed intention to bring such culture to Tibetan Buddhism. Maybe the new Geshema graduates will take some initiative for this some day.

44.
Shanti, from Delhi, says:
on 10 May 2019 at 10:49 pm

Couldn’t agree with you more ????
43.
Concerned H.H. Dalai Lama Devotee, from USA, says:
on 10 May 2019 at 5:38 pm

As for the FPMT organisation, which has repeatedly resisted needed reforms / accountability, please give thought to finally bringing about meaningful & rapid change by participating in a worldwide ‘Me Too’ Boycott of all FPMT centers.
Enough is Enough!
42.
Concerned H.H. Dalai Lama Devotee, from USA, says:
on 10 May 2019 at 5:33 pm

Thank-you Jaki for your exemplary courage, compassion and wisdom. May you have the best of health and well being, always!
In response to the numerous and varied accounts of student abuse over many years by Buddhist teachers of all traditions, let us pray:
“May every Buddhist teacher be held legally accountable to each and every individual that has described various types of abuse, personally apologize to each individual, vow never to do the harmful behavior again and pay restitution and/or do prison time in each case.

“May the Buddhist teachers who impart instruction about guru devotion and samaya do so, without using these Buddhist related teachings as a means to manipulate and harm others. May it be so.”
41.
Yeshe Rangdrol, from Australia, says:
on 10 May 2019 at 3:28 pm

And what of the monks who flaunt their homosexuality as a sign of their non-attachment to women? This is rife in the Tibetan monastic system & not limited to any sect in particular. I have seen 16 year old novices at Kopan wearing pink nail polish. And even Dudjom Rinpoche’s incarnation complained about older monks coming into his room at night & molesting him. If they would do that to a high tulku what would they do to other young monks?

40.
Sonam Tsering, from Dharamshala, says:
on 10 May 2019 at 5:52 am

The quality of lamas and tulkus is surely declining. Lamas living in the midst of all the comfort and luxuries of the world sit on the throne and talk of shunning materialism. I have heard about lamas charging high fees for teachings which in other word is commercialising the words of Buddha. Anybody can become a tulku with some connection to a Rinpoche. If the father is a tulku then the son surely is a tulku.

His Holiness all the time warns followers to enquire about the teacher first and then follow but Western followers love to be associated with Richie rich lamas.
39.
Jeet Daniel, from England, says:
on 10 May 2019 at 3:27 am

Thank you, Valdivia! You have done a great service to Buddhism, though your effort rightly exposed the hypocrisy rampant in Lamaism. Just how many Tibetan women and nuns’ lives these lamas ruined, but they can’t come out of their hypocritical society.

38.
Tibetan soul, from USA, says:
on 10 May 2019 at 2:19 am

I believe in Jakaira Perez Valdivia 100%. FPMT should stop promoting this molester who will bring more harm to other people. Jakaira Perez Valdivia can you file a police report and court case against your molester in EU court? This molester should be stopped before he start harming more innocent and vulnerable students.

37.
Phuntsok Dorje, from Banakha, says:
on 10 May 2019 at 12:20 am

The Buddha was himself a monk and had high regard for monasticism as the bedrock of Buddhism. He had also clearly outlined provisions for “expulsion” to weed out the corrupt and miscreant monks. In his life, Buddha had expelled many monks from monasteries for the good of Dharma and to justify people’s trust in the Sangha as the sole keeper of Dharma.

It is in fact true and sad that a few disrobed monks, including some prominent people, first have sex with women and then disrobe either voluntarily or after they’re caught pants down. This is not how it is done. First disrobe, then follow your wild dreams.

I think, these are what Tibetan monks should avoid:
1. Keeping women in their quarters
2. Unnecessarily touching women, even if it is out compassion
3. Walking hand in hand with female siblings and relatives in public places (people don’t know that she’s your sister)
4. Eating private dinner with a woman
5. Liking, following and making execssive praises to girls on Facebook and social forums
6. Showing off expensive phones, goggles, cameras, etc, in public places
7. Going to cinema halls and dance in robes [wear maroon track pants]
8. Eating in bar or with people drinking alcohol.
The bottomline is simple. If you can’t follow the rule prescribed by the Buddha, better stop pretending to be one. A fake and corrupt monk is better than no monk at all. These few rotten Tomatoes bring bad names to hundreds of other good monks and nuns who are true to the Dharma, in spirit and practice.

Thank you, Lobsang Wangyal la for giving this issue a platform for discussion. In Dharma terms, it is called “The Virtuous Cleansing.”

36.
Another Tenzin, from Dharamshala, says:
on 10 May 2019 at 12:00 am

It is true that the FPMT needs to have a clearer policy for reporting and dealing with potential abuse, but to say they have actively been covering up anything is a total misrepresentation of the events. As for the events in 2008, FPMT had been in contact with HHDL’s office, and were informed that the accusations were dropped, the police were not going any further with investigation, and that HHDL office had offered mediation session. (Also remember that HHDL’s office is not same as HHDL, but rather it is referencing lay people on the office staff).

From FPMT side, if accusations were dropped then there is nothing else for them to do. There have been *no other* public accusations against this Rinpoche before or after the 2008 incident until this current accusation from the woman on the plane.

I am not denying Jakaira’s account, it may be 100% accurate. But if the charges are dropped and there are no additional accusations, what is an organization like FPMT, who were not part of the original accusation nor part of the investigation, to do? If the police say the accusation and charges were dropped due to lack of evidence and they are told that official mediation has happened, how are they expected to do more than that? And now with this current instance, if, again, the charges are dropped or there is no further investigation, what should they do? If the charges are not dropped and investigation moves forward then yes they have a responsibility. But if they are dropped?

My point is that to claim FPMT has been aiding in covering up repeat offenses is simply not true. There has been one accusation and those charges were (officially) dropped, and that is what FPMT acted on. Of course now we wait to see results of this new accusation and how HHDL’s office and…

I think that FPMT ought to be honour-bound to explore the situation and allegations. Must we be dependent on outer “policing”. Surely neither Lama Yeshe nor Lama Zopa Rinpoche would condone inappropriate actions. Perhaps FPMT has or is conducting and internal investigation?
34.
I don’t accept, from In This World , says:
on 10 May 2019 at 5:01 pm

I don’t know if they covered up or not. The questions which must be honestly answered by the FPMT are among others:

1) how many cases of molesting women by Dagri Rinpoche have been reported to them in the last 30 years?
2) what was their response to these reported cases?
3) did they offer financial or psychological help / therapy?
4) how could it come that FPMT people tell a victim of molesting that groping her breasts and pressing the lama’s genital in her back is a compassionate massage? Why invalidating survivors’ experiences?
5) even if police does not act the FPMT might have to act because it might not be a criminal offence (like slaughtering a pig) but still unethical and damaging for FPMT female students.
6) does FPMT know of more cases not officially reported to them (because of shame, fear, fear of being shunned) and did they reach out for support to survivors?

33.
Kalsang, from Switzerland, says:
on 9 May 2019 at 9:35 pm

Tibet for 21 century needs less monks and nuns but more educated lay population who are constructive and innovative for future Tibetan existence in modern society. The monks, nuns and monasteries are no more building blocks of nation and healthy rich society.

32.
Tsultrim, from Bylakuppe, says:
on 9 May 2019 at 11:15 pm

Kalsang, I don’t agree with you here.
Tibetan culture is based on Dharma, which has pure monks and nuns as its ultimate custodians.
I would rephrase by saying that Tibet for the 21st century needs less “bad quality” monks and nuns.
From a Dharma perspective, the more ordained people on this world, the better, provided they behave and practice purely.

31.
Tess Boze, from Portland Oregon, says:
on 10 May 2019 at 12:03 am

Let’s recall that what makes all this possible is the Abiding Buddha Nature, and that everything changes but that.
Thus there are no bad quality beings. There are no pure monks and nuns.
All this is up to you to work out as seeing what the connection is. The Christians call this “as above, so below.”
Wisdom and compassion of the Buddha are right there for anyone who wants it.
Enjoy!

30.
Tsultrim, from Bylakuppe, says:
on 10 May 2019 at 7:46 am

Of course there are “bad quality” and “pure” monks and nuns, on a conventional level.

If monastics don’t abide by the law of Vinaya, then they are not “pure”. Otherwise where do we draw a line?

You cannot abandon every conventional judgement on a person on the basis that he or she has Buddha nature.

Whatever each individual internally thinks or perceives, is a different matter. If you have pure view, amazing achievement.

But outwardly we should judge according to conventionalities, such as whether the behaviour of the person is in accordance with the laws or not.

29.
White Man’s Burden, from Paris , says:
on 9 May 2019 at 9:04 pm

If sexual molestation can be dismissed as ‘ compassionate massage,’ then all pedophiles and ex-monks will go around giving compasssionate massage to everyone, even minors.

Yes, Lobsang Wangyal of Tibetsun is known to give massage to blonde tourists in Mcloed Ganj. But in those cases, both parties knew what should be expected from the word ‘ massage.’
I even heard Loten Namling had tried to ‘ massage’ a blonde in Germany, which got him into a big mess.

I urge all Tibetans to stop giving massage. It is possible to live without giving message, is it not?

28.
Samphe Lhalungpa, from Ottawa, says:
on 9 May 2019 at 8:31 pm

So such a complex area. Where abuse takes place we need to shut it down but there are also folks who collect lama experiences and used to brag that they have slept with xxx or yyy. In the end people must use thier sixth sense. My humble take is that celibacy suits some but not all entrants to the Holy Orders but they have to go through that door. Whether buddhist clerics..swamis..catholic priests..freudian shrinks…nature cure folks..: Let the Buyer be Aware..of the product or experience you are buying. Adam Smith is a useful guide.

Excellent suggestion. Let’s leave “massage” to qualified masseurs and masseuses. And let’s be more specific about massage.. “therapeutic” with an observer in the room similar to professional level medical services. or “relaxation massage” where anything goes.

what is the view of traditional Tibetan medicine practitioners and the role of massages? and the possible roles of ordained and lay practitioners? What are their respective roles, ethics and professional guidelines?

26.
ani lozang, from Usa + Nepal, says:
on 11 May 2019 at 2:31 am

Bhikshuni (nun’s) pratimoksha vinaya is very clear on this point::
Treatment from male doctors must be with another person present, nuns must not be in a room alone with male with a door closed, etc.
Given homosexuality, such rules can apply to any gender combinations for better results.

Even if Tibetan tradition monastics do not want full ordination vows, they can learn these rules as guidance, and lay teachers can also follow proper lay precepts. They are also obligated to follow laws of the country, so need to learn these if not taught in gombas.
Anyone who studies vinaya commentaries will know that all kinds of antics are possible with human nature and inclination to compulsively uphold 8 worldly dharmas. Each of the monastic rules arose from such kinds of events “unbecomming of a follower of the Buddha”!

Prevention is easier than cure. Gompas and dharma centers should make policies and response protocols in advance of incidents, and apply to all equally regardless of social status.
25.
Tendrol, from Dharamshala , says:
on 9 May 2019 at 7:56 pm

Dear Tibetan sisters,
IT is time that we Tibetan women must come out and speak loudly against sexual abuse by monks, Geshe, Trulku, Rinpoche and Lamas. I know of 100s of Tibetan women who have been abused by Lamas and monks. We are forced to keep silent because of shame associated with the sex. The worst is some of the assistant sexual concerns minor and young boys and girls.

The problem is Tibetan monks, Lamas, Geshe, Trulkus and Rinpoches are brought up in monasteries and not contact with women, and they don’t know how to talk to a woman. When they reach adulthood, their sexual desire and urges are strong, and the only way they know is by force.

I avoid being alone with any male religious figures because whenever I have been alone, lamas have tried to force themselves on me. Very often when I am walking alone, a monk would expose himself.

It is time that the Tibetan women should speak out against sexual abuse by our religious figures.

24.
Tennyi, from Dharamshala , says:
on 10 May 2019 at 6:17 am

I agree with Tendrol, we Tibetan women should and must come out to speak out against all the Lamas, Rinpoche and Tulku who abuse their religious power and molest women. Today, I was talking with a group of women and we all had a horrible experience with Tibetan monks and Lamas. I used to go Kora every day in Dharamsala, but I had to stop going because there was a monk from Namgyal Drastang who is always exposing himself. Sometimes he is waiting for me in distance, and when I passed nearby he will lift his robe.
I hope we Tibetan women can start metoo movement and expose the sexual abuse by monks and Lama. Honestly, I don’t trust any Tibetan monks and Lama. When I travel on bus from Dharamsala to Delhi, If I seated next to a monk, I will change my seat.

23.
Tess Boze, from Portland Oregon, says:
on 10 May 2019 at 12:33 am

In case you haven’t figures it out, a code of silence placed on speaking about such wrong-headed actions by the monastically trained allows these guys to gossip like old women.

Women who are had are obligated to remain silent; they become like a bug in a web. The spider can have them at leisure. The word spreads in a language few in anywhere but Tibet understand.
Think of it this way: If you spend most of your life in renunciation, and then *poof* you’re not,that’s not a butterfly emerging from your foreskin.

The only way you can help beings is to to be able to walk in their shoes. You don’t get an an apple from a thorn tree.

Practice what enjoyment you want to be to yourself, first. Explore thoroughly your secret self, know it well. Then you will be ready to understand others with compassion as you will truly be able to see through their eyes.

They hold a wrong view for a long time that because emptiness is form and form is also emptiness that they cannot really cause harm to others. This is a being with a still immature View, as still missing the experience of great compassion. That’s the stuff of saints.
Sometimes, very rarely one of them finally “gets it” Mostly if he’s taking consorts, he isn’t fully Realized as having a full experience of compassion. And you are expected to be his subordinate as woman, because that is the 3K year old way of the monastic system.
So, you must understand from the start that almost none of these guys are even close to being realized, despite lharumpa with a side of Geshe.

The purpose of the monastic system is to perpetuate the monastic system. And unfortunately, karma is used to excuse the means justifying the ends. But it never does.

The digital age is incredible right? Giving people a way to address the problems of the holy stations abuses of power. I’m studying vajrayana and I have been a member of the Bethel church of supernatural ministry for years. It’s astonishing to me how the holy people around the world have kept the power of the spirit so inaccessible to the individual. The time of Kings is gone and the fall of the religious sects is well underway. Kali yuga is in full effect and greatly affecting how people see the world and I for one believe that truth is the one God. Whatever you call the thing, divinity is fleeing from the temples and the individuals who still have real spirit power are the ones shunned and derided by the people who realize they no longer know God even though they claim to speak for him… We who are suffering the backlash from the reality that the church we’ve gone to our whole life, the temple of the Lord we worship at is corrupt and expounding the sins we are already free and absolved from. It’s the only way to keep us afraid. And with the digital age and freedom of information we can finally change the world and bring truth back to the place it belongs.

21.
CA, from Scotland , says:
on 9 May 2019 at 6:02 pm

Oh no. This has to be a mutually consensual activity with two very aware minds for it to be karma mudra surely? And I’m sure that’s not what the nun signed up for with her vow of celibacy. There are different levels of Vajrayana practice. Most start at the foundations for very good reasons. I think there’s a reason these types of practices are only for those with the highest, purest minds. Otherwise it is simply abuse and it discredits the Dharma. Don’t mix them up.

20.
Tess Boze, from Portland Oregon, says:
on 9 May 2019 at 4:16 pm

A little more about the FPMT’s lack of provisions for their students’ access to redress for such deluded tactics by their teachers.

There isn’t any.

There is a statement that all staff and teachers must sign as having read, and which is to be posted in an area accessible to staff and teachers, but it contains no such provisions to be made available to students. Nor are there any in their student handbook, or other information of administrative nature made accessible for students. However, students cannot see the handbook until they are enrolled, as provided the online link (as of 2014).

The statement is intended for an audience stated as staff and teachers, and directs itself to FPMT policies and requirements dealing with actions at centers and schools relating to only the staff and teachers.

In fact, there is no method whatsoever for students to follow as any procedure of grievance or complaint for any reason for students.
Further, there is no method whatsoever to address sexual harassment or direct attempt to address unwanted attempts at sexual contact protecting students with a process, including naming a specific role or office that students can rely on. Absolutely nothing is provided for the student to protect them and their Rights, let alone acknowledging that sexual harassment of students will not be tolerated.

It does state, however, that staff and teachers are to follow a process should any issues arise that need to be addressed for them.
Here, duplicity of gender bias and power balance in the FPMT is exposed. Specifically what appears to be collusion between Lama Zopa and mainly western, white professional men as teachers. Many of the women in such centers, schools, and institutions are long suffering under male dominance, as if in…

19.
Tenzin Nordron, Getsul, from USA, says:
on 9 May 2019 at 8:38 pm

Sad that after decades of polite correction, nothing has been done in FPMT. For years / decades, Lama Zopa persisted in (at least) tolerating/supporting Dogyal Worship; promoted fraudulent “Lama” Michael Roach & his legal wife (legal fact hidden from public), whom Roach called “Lama Christy” & dressed up like a 19th Century French “Angel”; and actually continued to push this fraudulent “Rinpoche” as his successor after having been well informed of his deviancy. Let’s not forget years of pushing extremely dubious project, opposed by world Buddhist community, to build world’s largest statute in Bodhgaya, and dubious financial issues of years of Maitreya project fundraising with not much tangible output to show for it. This continues to be a sad misfortune for Buddha Dharma since FPMT is the largest Geluk Buddhist organization in the world. Let us hope that the exposure of this gross immorality will lead to real, positive renovation/rectification.

18.
Tsemlha, from Toronto, says:
on 9 May 2019 at 3:29 pm

No more a rinpoche.. may justice be prevail. We tibetan do not support such predator.

17.
Jegmet, from India, says:
on 9 May 2019 at 2:03 pm

Very unfortunate news. Women in spiritual world also faces such harassment is not acceptable. They renounce their everything to find the truth of life. This is the greatest of the obstacles that anyone can face in the path to enlightenment. The ultimate truth is that the Buddha will be there for us. More power to the nun.

16.
Alex Wilding, from Tuscany, says:
on 9 May 2019 at 1:20 pm

Having watched the video, my heart goes out to Jakaira for having the courage so let us see her obvious pain. Well done to her, and well done to this paper for carrying the story.
15.
Bro, from Tuscany , says:
on 9 May 2019 at 3:15 pm

I agree with you. What a courage by Jakaira and this paper. Well done!

14.
Daniel says:
on 9 May 2019 at 12:58 pm

You can forget it. If anything the perpetrators will be shielded. Its not like they just found out about Dagri. They were told 10 years ago by the brave Spanish lady, Jaki. It was the same situation with Sogyal’s victims and the Dalai Lama even admitted that he knew about it many years ago.

I wonder how long before they are going to say this is a conspiracy to topple the Dharamshala administration? They always point the blame instead of taking responsibility.

May the women and students of the dharma studying under him find peace. It took courage to come forward. I hope to see clerics held to the same standandards of ethics we want to see modeled. Dharma is about cutting through conditioned thought. Buddha held monastics to a higher standard. My prayers will be with all who have been harmed through these actions.
12.
Gangchenpa, from New York , says:
on 9 May 2019 at 7:05 am

Truth shall free him too. If he is not a real monk, please stop this pretense. Be a man and find a woman who can fulfill your lust.
11.
Tess Boze, from Portland Oregon, says:
on 9 May 2019 at 4:23 pm

Just a reminder note: women are not on this earth to fulfil men’s lust. Please check in with yourself; you walk a thin line of promoting rape culture in couching your statement as being about lust. Rape, sexual harassment, molestation are about power, not sex as desire in any way. Thank you for wanting to see right done by all, and never give up seeking Buddha’s Truth!
10.
Being Tibetan, from Torrento, says:
on 9 May 2019 at 2:19 am

Whatever it may be, truth shall come out and the perpetrator be booked under the rule of law. I have been wondering as there are quite many Tibetan prints and mass media organisations in around Dharamsala and none dare came out with a piece on the issue other then the TibetSun, bravo Lobsang la. You really equate and epitomises the true essence of what honest, fearless and unbiased journalism is all about, without fearing what the singular minded community might have say on your publication.

Like our community has this ‘dark age’ fashion of hiding incident which happens in our society, be it sexual harassment or rape at the school or household, we cover them up with the fear of shaming the family, community and name of the org. involved, mainly forgetting in the process we’re encouraging the perpetrators and the unwanted incident more in future at large.

Whomsoever it may be, we shall all come out stand together, oust the white crow and let the investigation and rule of law take its own course, without fearing what the outcome may be.

9.
Dharma sister, from Nepal, says:
on 9 May 2019 at 7:54 am

Regarding the comment by Being Tibetan from Toronto. I find it very appropriate and caring on your part. The fear and shame factor causes the cycle of unhealthy patterns to blindly continue and therefore the abuse and suffering can’t be severed Sexuality is normal, but toxic sexuality is harmful to the psychological well-being of both involved. Thanks

I have always maintained the believe that we human beings no matter whatever names and identity we may carry in our lives, but at the end of a day we are all human beings, filled with greed, lust and usual human nature; like water are named differently around the world, yet the truth remains same with its own character of giving lives, quenching thrust and causing havoc with whatever names it may carry.

Except few including the lord Buddha and the living reincarnation of lord Avaloketeshwara who has overcome the samsara with a tamed mind and soul; rest are all usual human being called lives and vice versa.

7.
JDK, from Delhi, says:
on 9 May 2019 at 5:17 pm

Tibetan monks treat nuns as dakinis and consorts. It is natural in the tantric vajrayana Buddhism sexual abusing takes place. It is part of belief system. Ignorant people who follow part of a belief system keep complaining. The monk tried to perform karmamudra nothing else. If this lady felt it is sexual abuse, it is because of her ignorance about vajrayana Buddhism. Before she submitted as a nun she should have thought about what she’s doing and studied about the belief system.

6.
Tess Boze, from Portland Oregon, says:
on 10 May 2019 at 1:02 am

No, JDK, it is you who should study the belief system.
Take a look at what the Dalai Lama says about teachers need to respect the student.

She is an amazing student. She knows her true feelings. She has explored her secret self enough to know where she is on the path. I bow down to her.

You should too. She shows you the way. #nomeansno
Do you think a teacher of any great capacity would insist on karmamudra with someone who is self aware enough to truly understand what she wants and doesn’t want as enjoyable, and why that is so?

You would do well to follow her example in every way.
The only way to be truly happy is to make others happy. No one ever made anyone happy by raping them.
Use Buddha’s Assay testing for your reasoning.

5.
Tess Boze, from Portland Oregon, says:
on 10 May 2019 at 12:48 am

You have some serious issues, and are a far, far cry from where you want to be, and too close to the fire of self deception about where you actually are.

What you do is victim blaming. If the woman does not want it, it is rape no matter how holy the hard on.
Proof by Assay Is: You should not teach those who are not ready. If a woman is not ready then the man is grasping at his own selfishness. The woman shows more advancement then he by knowing her own Mind. #nomeansno

There does not need to be a reason. She does not feel like it, and that is good enough, because it is good to be in touch with your feelings. This is how we come to know ourselves.

4.
I don’t accept, from In This World, says:
on 9 May 2019 at 8:17 pm

JDK, I don’t know where your understanding is coming from but it’s not a proper understanding in any way.

1) nuns abide in the Vinaya vows and tantric practices like karmamudra are not part of these nor do tantric vows overwrite these
2) tantric karmamudra needs proper qualifications at both sides
3) karmamudra is based on mutual consent
4) especially in Gelug school any person qualified should give back the vows before engagement

Therefore abuse is neither part of the belief system nor permissible. They are not ignorant people who complain but women whose faith in Buddhism or Tibetan masters has been abused. The lady didn’t feel abused but was abused. Read her police report. The ex-nun understands very well that abuse and what happened to her has nothing to do with the vows of a nun in Tibetan Buddhism nor karmamudra.

What you do is called “victim blaming”. What you do is rooted in ignorance. The ex-nun is right in rejecting such actions as abuse and unethical.

3.
BeReal says:
on 9 May 2019 at 7:43 pm

Vajrayana or not, Buddhist monks and nuns are supposed to take celibacy vows. Those lamas who have consort are not monks. Don’t get confused. This lady is innocent, she trusted her teacher who supposed to be a revered monk but end up facing this. The fault is on the monk, it’s on the organization he affiliated to, which has been helping him to cover up. They should be condemned.

2.
I don’t accept, from In This World, says:
on 9 May 2019 at 6:59 pm

JDK, you tell total nonsense. Sexual abuse is not part of the belief system. Even if it were tantric context, then 1) it must be in mutual consent, 2) both must be qualified, 3) especially in Gelug school, you stop being ordained by giving back the vows before you engage.

What Dagri Rinpoche did is to abuse the vulnerability of a nun who wanted physical or spiritual healing but neither sex nor karmamudra. She didn’t give her consent nor is a nun in Tibetan Buddhism per ordination a karmamudra who can be used as one pleases — even against her will. Moreover, nobody is forced to practice Vajrayana. Dagri Rinpoche did not try to perform karmamudra. This is nonsense. Read the police report. According to FPMT he wanted to give a “compassionate massage” — well, by rubbing or pressing his penis against her back and groping her breasts? What an utter nonsense too! And also this has nothing to do with karmamudra.

1.
I don’t accept, from In This World, says:
on 9 May 2019 at 5:50 am

Yeah, but even as “usual human being” you don’t grope or molest women, do you? I don’t do that because I have benevolence and respect for women, and the intention not to hurt anybody.
Therefore, I don’t think it is right to normalise inhuman or incorrect behaviour by downplaying what happened a la “we are all sinners”. No, this is misconduct even common, ordinary beings don’t do.
It is just plain wrong what Dagri Rinpoche did and the FPMT totally missed to set proper boundaries, to put their own ethical codes of conduct or safeguarding policies into practice. Now they continue to deny the truth, whitewash what happened and are causing more damage, instead of reaching out to those been harmed and offering to the victims genuine support and apologies.

I fear FPMT cannot deal properly with this issue. So the Office of the Dalai Lama must take the lead.

For those of us who have held hope that the Foundation For the Preservation of the Mahayana Tradition (FPMT) might provide some leadership in resolving troubles of abuse within Western Tibetan Buddhist Centres, this has been a hard week. We have held hope because the FPMT’s code of ethics, signed by all teachers teaching at FPMT centres, has demonstrated a clarity about students’ needs not seen in other Tibetan Buddhist institutions.

Here is an example:

“FPMT is committed to promoting safe environments wherein the dignity of every individual is respected. Everyone participating in FPMT-related activities has the right and shall be free from harassment of any type, be it sexual harassment, intimidation, bullying, or other forms of harassment. Everyone coming into contact with the FPMT network shall be treated with dignity and respect.”

And this:

“Sexual relationships between Dharma teachers and students while a student is attending the teacher’s teachings, course or retreat are prohibited, and are strongly discouraged at all other times as long as there is a Dharma teacher-student relationship. Please see below for a policy specific to Dharma teachers. Others in positions of authority are also strongly discouraged from entering into sexual relationships in situations where there may be a real or perceived power imbalance. As well, no teacher, volunteer, staff member, or other representative of the hosting center shall make sexual advances to any participant during a teaching, course or retreat.”

This is the clear language students have been seeking from other Buddhist organizations. Sadly, however, a woman has recently claimed that the FPMT failed to honestly and appropriately address her allegations that Dagri Rinpoche, a teacher at FPMT centres, sexually assaulted her while she was a nun at Thosamling some years ago. This claim followed a recent allegation made to police in India by a woman who claimed that Dagri Rinpoche molested her while on a plane. According to The Tribune Newspaper (India), “the Gaggal police detained him before he was released on bail.” There are also claims that more women have been abused by him, though these have not been made public or verified.

In the first testimony, that given by Jakaira Perez Valdivi on Utube video, there is a disturbing description of the effort made by Dagri Rinpoche and the FPMT institution to undermine her story, effectively silencing her. She claims that Dagri Rinpoche lied to others about having apologized to her and that the FPMT labelled his actions as “compassionate massage” and not sexual at all. According to Jakaira’s story, his actions included fondling her breasts and pushing his genitals against her—not something that can be called “compassionate massage.” According to her, he apologized to her, but then lied and claimed that she apologized to him.

At best, the FPMT has failed to validate her concerns and failed to resolve a situation that has badly damaged her wellbeing and spiritual path. At worst, they are covering up a crime. At best, Dagri Rinpoche’s actions, as described by Jakaira and the recent allegation from the woman on the plane, disqualify him from ever teaching in an FPMT centre. At worst, they are criminal. Will he continued to teach at FPMT centres? Why has nothing been done to resolve the situation for Jakaira and why has he continued to teach at FPMT centres?

The FPMT say that these two incidents did not occur at an FPMT facility, project or institution and so the ethics policy does not apply. However, he has continued to teach at FPMT centres and the failure of this institution to act responsibly in the context of carefully screening their teachers and hearing the needs of survivors demonstrates a lack of fiduciary care and due diligence in my opinion. These problems are not fixed by simply finding loopholes.

And this is the big problem. In the current climate, with students from Rigpa, Shambhala and other Buddhist institutions still traumatized from disclosures of sexual abuse by their leaders, every Buddhist institution is called upon to be diligent regarding the behaviours of teachers. There should be no compromising on this, no finding loopholes or making excuses or quick fixes. It is one thing for a student to come to terms with the fact that a well-respected Dharma teacher is abusive. However, when the harm becomes institutionalized, when Tibetan Buddhist institutions fail to come forward with appropriate measures of validation, compassion and resolve, and continue to validate the integrity of that teacher, then the situation turns critical. This has happened in Rigpa, Shambhala and too many other Buddhist centres who are scrambling only now to put together flimsy codes of ethics.

The following letter from within the FPMT, from the Center Services Director of the FPMT International Office in Portland Oregon, reflects this sentiment. It appears that there is little appetite within the International Office for simply finding those loopholes in the Ethics Policy:

Dear Friends,

It has come to our attention that there are newspaper stories and social media accounts circulating stating that a lady in India has made a report to the Indian police accusing Dagri Rinpoche of molesting her on a flight in India.

As Dagri Rinpoche is currently an FPMT registered teacher, we at International Office are following this story closely and awaiting any additional updates and reports about the outcome of the accusation.

We understand that Dagri Rinpoche believes he is innocent of the accusation and is preparing a personal statement in response to the accusation.

Although the alleged event did not take place at an FPMT center, if the investigation results do determine that the accusation is correct, then we would follow the guidelines described under Administering the ETHICAL POLICY, in the ETHICS AND ETHICAL POLICY section of the Affiliates Area and it could impact Dagri Rinpoche’s inclusion on the FPMT registered teachers list, as per the FPMT Ethical Policy.

While we are awaiting any conclusions on this story, we send our prayers for all parties involved in and affected by this story.

We are sure that this will remind all of the importance of our responsibility to uphold ethical behaviour, especially by those of us who manage and teach at FPMT centers, projects and services.

Warmly,
Claire

Claire Isitt
Center Services Director

Statements such as this from within the FPMT’s establishment are encouraging. Indeed, the FPMT statement on the need for centres to take strong measures in instances of abuse is clear and strong within their ethical policy, though perhaps it can be amended to account for this situation. If it had been followed, Jakaira might have received the validation she needed. Here is how they describe those measures:

Misconduct on the part of persons in positions of power or trust can undermine the integrity of the organization, causing demoralization and loss of faith. Hence, the behaviours described in the Ethical Policy below are prohibited, and a center, project, or service’s grievance procedures should be put into effect if a breach occurs.

Each individual in a position of authority, within their area of responsibility in the FPMT organization, is also required to act on any appearance or complaint of misconduct. It is crucial that such individuals identify and express concerns about conduct that may be harmful, so that procedures for dealing with problems can be implemented.

FPMT’s Ethical Policy applies to all activities, interactions, or communications including those on-line, on social media, by telephone, in person, or by any other means as long as the activity, interaction, or communication in question concerns or pertains to FPMT-related actions, duties, or responsibilities.

We also need to be clear that we should have very little reason to doubt Jakaira’s story. In fact, if we hear FPMT make such a statement as to the “compassionate massage” of a monk alone with a nun (as she alleges they said), that should be enough to cause us to question their viewpoint! And statistics show that false allegations of sexual assault are rare and that most victims of sexual assault choose not to report — because they fear not being believed and becoming re-traumatized by a brutal system. These statistics are important because until women are believed and validated, there will be no change to a very widespread culture of abuse in institutions both East and West. We are in a “MeToo” movement where the problem will simply not go away without institutional change, without acknowledgement from all concerned that there is a systemic, serious problem.

Last November, some 130 former and current students of Tibetan Buddhism signed a letter addressed to over forty lamas from all four lineages. We translated this letter into Tibetan. Attached to this letter was a translation into Tibetan of another letter, that written by eight former senior students of Sogyal Lakhar, in which they outlined his serious physical, psychological and sexual abuses over decades. We asked only one question in the letter. We simply wanted to know whether or not lamas found these behaviours acceptable—e.g. behaviours of beating and sexually abusing students, using student donations to live a lavish lifestyle etc. As of this writing, six months later, we have had only two responses.¹

We wrote that letter with the intention of receiving better clarity on how we, as long-time Dharma students, could move forward on our spiritual paths after abusive situations—and how we could insure better safety within Western Dharma Centres. We neither want to be abused on our spiritual paths nor do we not want to practice in an environment of abuse. Many of us sat silent while Sogyal Lakhar spent hours of his teaching time viciously maligning and insulting students. We are horrified that we turned our back on harm as we sat through these tirades. The letter was written sincerely, from our hearts, with no ulterior motive other than stopping harm and knowing where safety lay. To many of us, the lack of response from forty lamas is in fact a very brutal and non-compassionate response. A lack of caring.

Tahlia Newland and I also wrote a letter to HH Dalai Lama in which we told him that we had written these letters to lamas and why. We explained also that the Vajrayana had been used to justify abusive behaviors and to silence students with threats of hell if they objected. We explained that many were questioning the Vajrayana now and many needed better clarity. We asked him to please bring the matter up at the meeting scheduled for Tibetan Buddhist leaders last November. We received a response from his office two days later, asking us to forward the matter to the Kalon of Religion and Culture and to CC His Holiness. We did that. Shortly after, the meeting was postponed and we fear that now, there will be little hope of this topic being raised if the meeting is ever held. The kalon has not responded to us either.

I believe that abusive behaviors within the context of the Vajrayana make this situation particularly critical—and particularly in need of strong leadership that can provide clarity. Though some FPMT teachers are amongst those who haven’t replied to our letter, many of us have nonetheless held out a hope for this organization because of its strongly worded ethics code—and because of the responsible and thorough approach to Dharma in the FPMT educational programs, their responsible approach to the Vajrayana.

I would like to add to this my desire that FPMT seek now to sincerely and compassionately reach out with support to Jakaira Perez Valdivi and others who might have made similar claims of harm from FPMT teachers that are not known to us. Publicly, a statement from the FPMT on how they intend to address this situation and others like it would be very helpful towards insuring that a growing group of disillusioned Dharma students do not lose trust in the good intentions of the FPMT. Trust demands better transparency and this has been lacking. Most of all, I truly believe that the code of silence that has ruled within Tibetan Buddhist culture in the West needs to end if the Dharma in the Tibetan Buddhist Tradition is to thrive.

WOW, Dargi Rinpoche issued a statement that is against the two victims. Dargi Rinpoche really can tell lies and act goody-goody. 🤦🤦🤦🤦

A brief translation as below:

Dagri Rinpoche said on 3rd of May, he took a flight from Delhi to Kangra. The lady that accused him of molestation was not sitting besides him but sitting at aisle seat next to his seat. During the flight he got up from his seat to take something from the overhead compartment but he fell down because there is medical issue with his legs. This was when he accidentally touched the lady and the lady got mad at him. After the plane touched down, the lady went to lodge police report.

Dagri Rinpoche also denied the rumours about him working for the Dalai Lama office, he said he never work for the Dalai Lama.

As for the issue relating to Spanish lady, Jakaira Perez, Dagri Rinpoche said Jakaira back then as a nun, came to him many years back, to heal her and gave blessings, so he did accordingly. 3 years after the healing and blessing session, Jakaira and him were having some conflicts,(Dagri Rinpoche did not mentioned what and why) but it finally resolved after a meeting that involved the other 6 persons.

Overall, Dagri Rinpoche said he never did anything non virtuous and he is innocent. Whatever the people say, he will not say anything back but he will continue to pray for all sentient beings and practice the teachings of taking up others’ sufferings and give them happiness.

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.…Instead of turning away people who practise Dorje Shugden, we should be kind to them. Give them logic and wisdom without fear, then in time they give up the ‘wrong’ practice. Actually Shugden practitioners are not doing anything wrong. But hypothetically, if they are, wouldn’t it be more Buddhistic to be accepting? So those who have views against Dorje Shugden should contemplate this. Those practicing Dorje Shugden should forbear with extreme patience, fortitude and keep your commitments. The time will come as predicted that Dorje Shugden’s practice and it’s terrific quick benefits will be embraced by the world and it will be a practice of many beings.